7 U.S.C. § 8711 (AGRICULTURE)
§ 8711. Base acres
(a) Adjustment of base acres
(1) In general
The Secretary shall provide for an adjustment, as appropriate, in the base acres for covered commodities for a farm whenever any of the following circumstances occurs:
(A) A conservation reserve contract entered into under section 1231 of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3831) with respect to the farm expires or is voluntarily terminated, or was terminated or expired during the period beginning on October 1, 2007, and ending on the date of enactment of this Act.
(B) Cropland is released from coverage under a conservation reserve contract by the Secretary, or was released during the period beginning on October 1, 2007, and ending on the date of enactment of this Act.
(C) The producer has eligible pulse crop acreage, which shall be determined in the same manner as eligible oilseed acreage under section 7911(a)(2) of this title.
(D) The producer has eligible oilseed acreage as the result of the Secretary designating additional oilseeds, which shall be determined in the same manner as eligible oilseed acreage under section 7911(a)(2) of this title.
(2) Special conservation reserve acreage payment rules
For the crop year in which a base acres adjustment under subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (1) is first made, the owner of the farm shall elect to receive either direct payments and counter-cyclical payments with respect to the acreage added to the farm under this subsection or a prorated payment under the conservation reserve contract, but not both.
(b) Prevention of excess base acres
(1) Required reduction
If the sum of the base acres for a farm, together with the acreage described in paragraph (2) exceeds the actual cropland acreage of the farm, the Secretary shall reduce the base acres for 1 or more covered commodities for the farm or the base acres for peanuts for the farm so that the sum of the base acres and acreage described in paragraph (2) does not exceed the actual cropland acreage of the farm.
(2) Other acreage
For purposes of paragraph (1), the Secretary shall include the following:
(A) Any base acres for peanuts for the farm.
(B) Any acreage on the farm enrolled in the conservation reserve program or wetlands reserve program under chapter 1 of subtitle D of title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3830 et seq.).
(C) Any other acreage on the farm enrolled in a Federal conservation program for which payments are made in exchange for not producing an agricultural commodity on the acreage.
(D) Any eligible pulse crop acreage, which shall be determined in the same manner as eligible oilseed acreage under section 7911(a)(2) of this title.
(E) If the Secretary designates additional oilseeds, any eligible oilseed acreage, which shall be determined in the same manner as eligible oilseed acreage under section 7911(a)(2) of this title.
(3) Selection of acres
The Secretary shall give the owner of the farm the opportunity to select the base acres for a covered commodity or the base acres for peanuts for the farm against which the reduction required by paragraph (1) will be made.
(4) Exception for double-cropped acreage
In applying paragraph (1), the Secretary shall make an exception in the case of double cropping, as determined by the Secretary.
(5) Coordinated application of requirements
The Secretary shall take into account section 8752(b) of this title when applying the requirements of this subsection.
(c) Reduction in base acres
(1) Reduction at option of owner
(A) In general
The owner of a farm may reduce, at any time, the base acres for any covered commodity for the farm.
(B) Effect of reduction
A reduction under subparagraph (A) shall be permanent and made in a manner prescribed by the Secretary.
(2) Required action by Secretary
(A) In general
The Secretary shall proportionately reduce base acres on a farm for covered commodities for land that has been subdivided and developed for multiple residential units or other nonfarming uses if the size of the tracts and the density of the subdivision is such that the land is unlikely to return to the previous agricultural use, unless the producers on the farm demonstrate that the land—
(i) remains devoted to commercial agricultural production; or
(ii) is likely to be returned to the previous agricultural use.
(B) Requirement
The Secretary shall establish procedures to identify land described in subparagraph (A).
(3) Review and report
Each year, to ensure, to the maximum extent practicable, that payments are received only by producers, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report that describes the results of the actions taken under paragraph (2).
(d) Treatment of farms with limited base acres
(1) Prohibition on payments
Except as provided in paragraph (2) and notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, a producer on a farm may not receive direct payments, counter-cyclical payments, or average crop revenue election payments if the sum of the base acres of the farm is 10 acres or less, as determined by the Secretary.
(2) Exceptions
Paragraph (1) shall not apply to a farm owned by—
(A) a socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher (as defined in section 2003(e) of this title; 1 or
(B) a limited resource farmer or rancher, as defined by the Secretary.
(3) Data collection and publication
The Secretary shall—
(A) collect and publish segregated data and survey information about the farm profiles, utilization of land, and crop production; and
(B) perform an evaluation on the supply and price of fruits and vegetables based on the effects of suspension of base acres under this section.
(4) Suspension of prohibition
Paragraphs (1) through (3) shall not apply during the 2008 crop year.
(Pub. L. 110–234, title I, § 1101, May 22, 2008, 122 Stat. 938; Pub. L. 110–246, § 4(a), title I, § 1101, June 18, 2008, 122 Stat. 1664, 1666; Pub. L. 110–398, § 1(a)(1), Oct. 13, 2008, 122 Stat. 4213.)
heading: Editorial Notes
heading: References in Text
text: The date of enactment of this Act, referred to in subsec. (a)(1)(A), (B), is the date of enactment of Pub. L. 110–246, which was approved June 18, 2008.
The Food Security Act of 1985, referred to in subsec. (b)(2)(B), is Pub. L. 99–198, Dec. 23, 1985, 99 Stat. 1354. Chapter 1 of subtitle D of title XII of the Act is classified generally to part I (§ 3830 et seq.) of subchapter IV of chapter 58 of Title 16, Conservation. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title of 1985 Amendment note set out under section 1281 of this title and Tables.
This chapter, referred to in subsec. (d)(1), was in the original “this title”, meaning title I of Pub. L. 110–246, June 18, 2008, 122 Stat. 1664, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of title I to the Code, see Tables.
heading: Codification
text: Pub. L. 110–234 and Pub. L. 110–246 enacted identical sections. Pub. L. 110–234 was repealed by section 4(a) of Pub. L. 110–246.
heading: Amendments
text: 2008—Subsec. (d)(4). Pub. L. 110–398 added par. (4).
heading: Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
heading: Effective Date
text: Enactment 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 a note under section 8701 of this title.