I 
113TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1247 
To amend the Federal Crop Insurance Act to support crop insurance for 
specialty crops, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 19, 2013 
Mr. SEAN PATRICK MALONEY of New York (for himself and Mr. GIBSON) in-
troduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agri-
culture 
A BILL 
To amend the Federal Crop Insurance Act to support crop 
insurance for specialty crops, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Creating Reliability 
for Our Producers Act’’ or ‘‘CROP Act’’. 
SEC. 2. ADVANCE PAYMENTS FOR UNDERSERVED REGIONS 
AND CROPS. 
Section 522(b)(2) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act 
(7 U.S.C. 1522(b)(2)) is amended by striking subpara-
graph (E) and inserting the following: 
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‘‘(E) APPROVAL.— 
‘‘(i) IN
GENERAL.—The Board may 
approve up to 75 percent of the projected 
total research and development costs to be 
paid in advance to an applicant, in accord-
ance with the procedures developed by the 
Board for the making of the payments, if, 
after consideration of the reviewer reports 
described in subparagraph (D) and such 
other information as the Board determines 
appropriate, the Board determines— 
‘‘(I) the concept, in good faith, 
will likely result in a viable and mar-
ketable policy consistent with section 
508(h); 
‘‘(II) in the sole opinion of the 
Board, the concept, if developed into a 
policy and approved by the Board, 
would provide crop insurance cov-
erage— 
‘‘(aa) in a significantly im-
proved form; 
‘‘(bb) to a crop or region not 
traditionally served by the Fed-
eral crop insurance program; or 
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‘‘(cc) in a form that ad-
dresses a recognized flaw or 
problem in the program; 
‘‘(III) the applicant agrees to 
provide such reports as the Corpora-
tion determines are necessary to mon-
itor the development effort; 
‘‘(IV) the proposed budget and 
timetable are reasonable; and 
‘‘(V) the concept proposal meets 
any other requirements that the 
Board determines appropriate. 
‘‘(ii) WAIVER.—The Board may waive 
the cap specified in clause (i) on the ad-
vance payment of costs and pay more of 
the projected total research and develop-
ment costs in advance if, in the sole discre-
tion of the Board, the Board determines 
that the concept proposal provides cov-
erage for a region or crop that is under-
served by the Federal crop insurance pro-
gram, including specialty crops.’’. 
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SEC. 3. AUTHORITY TO CONDUCT RESEARCH AND DEVEL-
OPMENT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 522(c) of the Federal 
Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1522(c)) is amended— 
(1) in the subsection heading by striking ‘‘CON-
TRACTING’’; 
(2) in paragraph (1), in the matter preceding 
subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘may enter into con-
tracts to carry out research and development to’’ 
and inserting ‘‘may conduct activities or enter into 
contracts to carry out research and development to 
maintain or improve existing policies or develop new 
policies to’’; 
(3) in paragraph (2)— 
(A) in subparagraph (A), by inserting 
‘‘conduct research and development or’’ after 
‘‘The Corporation may’’; and 
(B) in subparagraph (B), by inserting 
‘‘conducting research and development or’’ after 
‘‘Before’’; 
(4) in paragraph (5), by inserting ‘‘after expert 
review in accordance with section 505(e)’’ after ‘‘ap-
proved by the Board’’; and 
(5) in paragraph (6), by striking ‘‘a pasture, 
range, and forage program’’ and inserting ‘‘policies 
that increase participation by producers of under-
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served agricultural commodities, including specialty 
crops’’. 
(b) FUNDING.—Section 522(e) of the Federal Crop 
Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1522(e)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (2)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘(A) AUTHORITY.—’’ and 
inserting ‘‘(A) CONDUCTING AND CONTRACTING 
FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.—’’; 
(B) in subparagraph (A), by inserting 
‘‘conduct research and development and’’ after 
‘‘the Corporation may use to’’; and 
(C) in subparagraph (B), by inserting 
‘‘conduct research and development and’’ after 
‘‘for the fiscal year to’’; 
(2) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘to provide ei-
ther reimbursement payments or contract pay-
ments’’; and 
(3) by striking paragraph (4). 
Æ 
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