7 U.S.C. § 1505 (AGRICULTURE)
§ 1505. Management of Corporation
(a) Board of Directors
(1) Establishment
The management of the Corporation shall be vested in a Board of Directors subject to the general supervision of the Secretary.
(2) Composition
The Board shall consist of only the following members:
(A) The manager of the Corporation, who shall serve as a nonvoting ex officio member.
(B) The Under Secretary of Agriculture responsible for the Federal crop insurance program.
(C) One additional Under Secretary of Agriculture (as designated by the Secretary).
(D) The Chief Economist of the Department of Agriculture.
(E) One person experienced in the crop insurance business.
(F) One person experienced in reinsurance or the regulation of insurance.
(G) Four active producers who are policy holders, are from different geographic areas of the United States, and represent a cross-section of agricultural commodities grown in the United States, including at least one specialty crop producer.
(3) Appointment of private sector members
The members of the Board described in subparagraphs (E), (F), and (G) of paragraph (2)—
(A) shall be appointed by, and hold office at the pleasure of, the Secretary;
(B) shall not be otherwise employed by the Federal Government;
(C) shall be appointed to staggered 4-year terms, as determined by the Secretary; and
(D) shall serve not more than two consecutive terms.
(4) Chairperson
The Board shall select a member of the Board to serve as Chairperson.
(b) Vacancies
Vacancies in the Board so long as there shall be four members in office shall not impair the powers of the Board to execute the functions of the Corporation, and four of the members in office shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of the business of the Board.
(c) Compensation
The Directors of the Corporation who are employed in the Department shall receive no additional compensation for their services as such Directors but may be allowed necessary traveling and subsistence expenses when engaged in business of the Corporation, outside of the District of Columbia. The Directors of the Corporation who are not employed by the Federal Government shall be paid such compensation for their services as Directors as the Secretary shall determine, but such compensation shall not exceed the daily equivalent of the rate prescribed for grade GS–18 under section 5332 of title 5 when actually employed, and actual necessary traveling and subsistence expenses, or a per diem allowance in lieu of subsistence expenses, as authorized by section 5703 of title 5 for persons in Government service employed intermittently, when on the business of the Corporation away from their homes or regular places of business.
(d) Manager of Corporation
The manager of the Corporation shall be its chief executive officer, with such power and authority as may be conferred by the Board. The manager shall be appointed by, and hold office at the pleasure of, the Secretary.
(e) Expert review of policies, plans of insurance, and related material
(1) Review by experts
The Board shall establish procedures under which any policy or plan of insurance, as well as any related material or modification of such a policy or plan of insurance, to be offered under this subchapter shall be subject to independent reviews by persons experienced as actuaries and in underwriting, as determined by the Board.
(2) Review of Corporation policies and plans
Except as provided in paragraph (3), the Board shall contract with at least five persons to each conduct a review of the policy or plan of insurance, of whom—
(A) not more than one person may be employed by the Federal Government; and
(B) at least one person must be designated by approved insurance providers pursuant to procedures determined by the Board.
(3) Review of private submissions
If the reviews under paragraph (1) cover a policy or plan of insurance, or any related material or modification of a policy or plan of insurance, submitted under section 1508(h) of this title—
(A) the Board shall contract with at least five persons to each conduct a review of the policy or plan of insurance, of whom—
(i) not more than one person may be employed by the Federal Government; and
(ii) none may be employed by an approved insurance provider; and
(B) each review must be completed and submitted to the Board not later than 30 days prior to the end of the 120-day period described in section 1508(h)(4)(D) of this title.
(4) Consideration of reviews
The Board shall include reviews conducted under this subsection as part of the consideration of any policy or plan or insurance, or any related material or modification of a policy or plan of insurance, proposed to be offered under this subchapter.
(5) Funding of reviews
Each contract to conduct a review under this subsection shall be funded from amounts made available under section 1516(b)(2)(A)(ii) of this title.
(6) Relation to other authority
The contract authority provided in this subsection is in addition to any other contracting authority that may be exercised by the Board under section 1506(l) of this title.
(Feb. 16, 1938, ch. 30, title V, § 505, 52 Stat. 72; Aug. 1, 1947, ch. 440, § 8, 61 Stat. 719; Aug. 25, 1949, ch. 512, § 7, 63 Stat. 665; Pub. L. 96–365, title I, § 102, Sept. 26, 1980, 94 Stat. 1312; Pub. L. 103–354, title I, §§ 102(b)(3), (4), 103, 115(a), Oct. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 3181, 3204; Pub. L. 106–224, title I, § 142(a)(1), (b), June 20, 2000, 114 Stat. 389, 390; Pub. L. 110–234, title XII, § 12033(c)(2)(B), May 22, 2008, 122 Stat. 1405; Pub. L. 110–246, § 4(a), title XII, § 12033(c)(2)(B), June 18, 2008, 122 Stat. 1664, 2167.)
heading: Editorial Notes
heading: Codification
text: Pub. L. 110–234 and Pub. L. 110–246 made identical amendments to this section. The amendments by Pub. L. 110–234 were repealed by section 4(a) of Pub. L. 110–246.
heading: Amendments
text: 2008—Subsec. (e)(1), (4). Pub. L. 110–246, § 12033(c)(2)(B), substituted “this subchapter” for “this chapter”.
2000—Pub. L. 106–224, § 142(a)(1), inserted section catchline.
Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 106–224, § 142(a)(1), added heading and text of subsec. (a) and struck out former subsec. (a) which read as follows: “The management of the Corporation shall be vested in a Board subject to the general supervision of the Secretary. The Board shall consist of the manager of the Corporation, the Under Secretary of Agriculture responsible for the Federal crop insurance program, one additional Under Secretary of Agriculture (as designated by the Secretary of Agriculture), one person experienced in the crop insurance business who is not otherwise employed by the Federal Government, and three active farmers who are not otherwise employed by the Federal Government. The Board shall be appointed by, and hold office at the pleasure of, the Secretary. The Secretary shall not be a member of the Board. The Secretary, in appointing the three active farmers who are not otherwise employed by the Federal Government, shall ensure that such members are policyholders and are from different geographic areas of the United States, in order that diverse agricultural interests in the United States are at all times represented on the Board.”
Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 106–224, § 142(b), added subsec. (e).
1994—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103–354, § 102(b)(3), (4)(A), (C), in first sentence struck out “of Directors (hereinafter called the ‘Board’)” after “Board” and “of Agriculture” after “Secretary”.
Pub. L. 103–354, § 103, in second sentence struck out “or Assistant Secretary” after “Corporation, the Under Secretary” and substituted “one additional Under Secretary of Agriculture (as designated by the Secretary of Agriculture)” for “the Under Secretary or Assistant Secretary of Agriculture responsible for the farm credit programs of the Department of Agriculture”.
Pub. L. 103–354, § 115(a)(1), substituted “The Board shall be appointed by, and hold office at the pleasure of, the Secretary. The Secretary shall not be a member of the Board.” for former third sentence which read as follows: “The Board shall be appointed by, and hold office at the pleasure of the Secretary, who shall not, himself, be a member of the Board.”
Pub. L. 103–354, § 102(b)(4)(C), in third sentence struck out “of Agriculture” before “, who shall not”.
Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 103–354, § 102(b)(4)(B), (C), struck out “of Agriculture” after “Department” in first sentence and after “Secretary” in second sentence.
Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 103–354, §§ 102(b)(4)(C), 115(a)(2), in first sentence struck out “upon him” before “by the Board”, and in second sentence substituted “The manager shall” for “He shall” and struck out “of Agriculture” after “Secretary”.
1980—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 96–365, § 102(a), increased Board membership to seven from five persons; substituted provisions including on the Board the Under Secretaries or Assistant Secretaries of Agriculture for crop insurance and farm credit programs and one person experienced in crop insurance business for former provisions including on the Board two other Agriculture Department employees and two persons with insurance business experience; authorized appointment of three active farmers not otherwise Federal employees; and required farmer appointees to be policyholders and representative of agricultural interests of different geographic areas.
Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 96–365, § 102(b), substituted “four” for “three” in two places.
Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 96–365, § 102(c), substituted as limitation on compensation of Directors of the Corporation not employed by the Federal Government the daily equivalent of rate prescribed for grade GS–18 under section 5332 of title 5 when actually employed, and actual necessary traveling and subsistence expenses, or the per diem allowance in lieu of subsistence expenses, as authorized by section 5703 of title 5 for persons in Government service employed intermittently, when on the business of the Corporation away from their homes or regular places of business for former limitation of $50 per day when actually employed and transportation expenses plus not to exceed $10 per diem in lieu of subsistence expenses when on business of the Corporation away from their homes or regular places of business.
1949—Subsec. (c). Act Aug. 25, 1949, reduced compensation of members of Board of Directors who are not Government employees from “not to exceed $100 per day” to “not to exceed $50 per day”, and changed from “subsistence expenses” to “transportation expenses and not to exceed $10 per diem”.
1947—Act Aug. 1, 1947, amended section generally and, among other changes, increased membership of Board from three to five, provided for two members with insurance experience, not Government employees, increased from two to three the number of members necessary to carry on functions and to constitute a quorum, provided for compensation and expenses of Board members not otherwise Government employed, and for appointment of manager of corporation by the Secretary of Agriculture instead of being selected by the Board.
heading: Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
heading: Effective Date of 2008 Amendment
text: Amendment of this section and repeal of Pub. L. 110–234 by Pub. L. 110–246 effective May 22, 2008, the date of enactment of Pub. L. 110–234, see section 4 of Pub. L. 110–246, set out as an Effective Date note under section 8701 of this title.
heading: Effective Date of 1994 Amendment
text: Amendment by Pub. L. 103–354 effective Oct. 13, 1994, and applicable to provision of crop insurance under Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1501 et seq.) beginning with 1995 crop year, with such Act, as in effect on the day before Oct. 13, 1994, to continue to apply with respect to 1994 crop year, see section 120 of Pub. L. 103–354, set out as a note under section 1502 of this title.
heading: Effective Date of 1980 Amendment
text: Amendment by Pub. L. 96–365 effective Sept. 26, 1980, see section 112 of Pub. L. 96–365, set out as a note under section 1504 of this title.
heading: Appointment of Board of Directors Beginning February 1, 2001
text: Pub. L. 106-224, title I, § 142(a)(2), (3), June 20, 2000, 114 Stat. 390, provided that:
“(2) Implementation.—
The initial members of the Board of Directors of the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation required to be appointed under section 505(a)(3) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act [7 U.S.C. 1505(a)(3)] (as amended by paragraph (1)) shall be appointed during the period beginning February 1, 2001, and ending April 1, 2001.
“(3) Effect on existing board.—
A member of the Board of Directors of the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation on the date of the enactment of this Act [June 20, 2000] may continue to serve as a member of the Board until the members referred to in paragraph (2) are first appointed.”
heading: References in Other Laws to GS–16, 17, or 18 Pay Rates
text: References in laws to the rates of pay for GS–16, 17, or 18, or to maximum rates of pay under the General Schedule, to be considered references to rates payable under specified sections of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, see section 529 [title I, § 101(c)(1)] of Pub. L. 101–509, set out in a note under section 5376 of Title 5.
heading: Executive Documents
heading: Transfer of Functions
text: Administration of program of Federal Crop Insurance Corporation transferred to Secretary of Agriculture by 1946 Reorg. Plan No. 3, § 501, eff. July 16, 1946, 11 F.R. 7877, 60 Stat. 1100. See note set out under section 1503 of this title.
Wartime consolidation of Federal Crop Insurance Corporation into Agricultural Conservation and Adjustment Administration, see note set out under section 1503 of this title.