II 
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6849 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
SEPTEMBER 25 (legislative day, SEPTEMBER 17), 2008 
Received 
AN ACT 
To amend the commodity provisions of the Food, Conserva-
tion, and Energy Act of 2008 to permit producers to 
aggregate base acres and reconstitute farms to avoid 
the prohibition on receiving direct payments, counter- 
cyclical payments, or average crop revenue election pay-
ments when the sum of the base acres of a farm is 
10 acres or less, and for other purposes. 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
02:00 Sep 30, 2008
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6652
E:\BILLS\H6849.RDS
H6849
wwoods2 on PRODPC68 with BILLS
HR 6849 RDS
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. TREATMENT OF FARMS WITH LIMITED BASE 
ACRES. 
(a) SUSPENSION OF PROHIBITION.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Section 1101(d) of the 
Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (7 
U.S.C. 8711(d)) is amended by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘(4) SUSPENSION
OF
PROHIBITION.—Para-
graphs (1) through (3) shall not apply during the 
2008 and 2009 crop years.’’. 
(2) PEANUTS.—Section 1302(d) of the Food, 
Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 
8752(d)) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(4) SUSPENSION
OF
PROHIBITION.—Para-
graphs (1) through (3) shall not apply during the 
2008 and 2009 crop years.’’. 
(b) EXTENSION OF 2008 SIGNUP FOR DIRECT PAY-
MENTS AND COUNTER-CYCLICAL PAYMENTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 1106 of the Food, 
Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 
8716) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
02:00 Sep 30, 2008
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6849.RDS
H6849
wwoods2 on PRODPC68 with BILLS
HR 6849 RDS
‘‘(f) EXTENSION OF 2008 SIGNUP.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other 
provision of law, the Secretary shall extend the 2008 
crop year deadline for the signup for benefits under 
this subtitle by producers on a farm with base acres 
of 10 acres or less until the later of— 
‘‘(A) November 14, 2008; or 
‘‘(B) the end of the 45-day period begin-
ning on the date of the enactment of this sub-
section. 
‘‘(2) PENALTIES.—The Secretary shall ensure 
that no penalty with respect to benefits under this 
subtitle is assessed against producers on a farm de-
scribed in paragraph (1) for failure to submit re-
ports under this section or timely comply with other 
program requirements as a result of compliance with 
the extended signup deadline under that para-
graph.’’. 
(2) PEANUTS.—Section 1305 of the Food, Con-
servation, and Energy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 8755) 
is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(f) EXTENSION OF 2008 SIGNUP.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other 
provision of law, the Secretary shall extend the 2008 
crop year deadline for the signup for benefits under 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
02:00 Sep 30, 2008
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6849.RDS
H6849
wwoods2 on PRODPC68 with BILLS
HR 6849 RDS
this subtitle by producers on a farm with base acres 
of 10 acres or less until the later of— 
‘‘(A) November 14, 2008; or 
‘‘(B) the end of the 45-day period begin-
ning on the date of the enactment of this sub-
section. 
‘‘(2) PENALTIES.—The Secretary shall ensure 
that no penalty with respect to benefits under this 
subtitle is assessed against producers on a farm de-
scribed in paragraph (1) for failure to submit re-
ports under this section or timely comply with other 
program requirements as a result of compliance with 
the extended signup deadline under that para-
graph.’’. 
(c) OFFSETTING REDUCTION.—Section 515(k)(1) of 
the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1515(k)(1)) is 
amended by striking ‘‘not more than $15,000,000 for each 
of fiscal years 2008 through 2011’’ and inserting ‘‘not 
more than $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2008, not more 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
02:00 Sep 30, 2008
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6849.RDS
H6849
wwoods2 on PRODPC68 with BILLS