7 U.S.C. § 9015 (AGRICULTURE)
§ 9015. Producer election
(a) Election required
For the 2014 through 2018 crop years (except as provided in subsection (g)) and for the 2019 through 2031 crop years (subject to subsection (h)), all of the producers on a farm shall make a 1-time, irrevocable election to obtain—
(1) price loss coverage under section 9016 of this title on a covered commodity-by-covered-commodity basis; or
(2) agriculture risk coverage under section 9017 of this title.
(b) Coverage options
In the election under subsection (a) or (h), as applicable, the producers on a farm that elect to obtain agriculture risk coverage shall unanimously select whether to receive agriculture risk coverage payments based on—
(1) county coverage applicable on a covered commodity-by-covered-commodity basis; or
(2) individual coverage applicable to all of the covered commodities on the farm.
(c) Effect of failure to make unanimous election
If all the producers on a farm fail to make a unanimous election under subsection (a) for the 2014 crop year, the 2019 crop year, or the 2026 crop year, as applicable—
(1) the Secretary shall not make any payments with respect to the farm for the 2014 crop year, the 2019 crop year, or the 2026 crop year, as applicable, under section 9016 or 9017 of this title; and
(2) subject to subsection (h), the producers on the farm shall be deemed to have elected, as applicable—
(A) price loss coverage for all covered commodities on the farm for the 2015 through 2018 crop years;
(B) the same coverage for each covered commodity on the farm for the 2020 through 2023 crop years as was applicable for the 2015 through 2018 crop years; and
(C) the same coverage for each covered commodity on the farm for the 2027 through 2031 crop years as was applicable for the 2025 crop year.
(d) Effect of selection of county coverage
If all the producers on a farm select county coverage for a covered commodity under subsection (b)(1), the Secretary may not make price loss coverage payments under section 9016 of this title to the producers on the farm with respect to that covered commodity.
(e) Effect of selection of individual coverage
If all the producers on a farm select individual coverage under subsection (b)(2), in addition to the selection and election under this section applying to each producer on the farm, the Secretary shall consider, for purposes of making the calculations required by subsections (b)(2) and (c)(3) of section 9017 of this title, the producer’s share of all farms in the same State—
(1) in which the producer has an interest; and
(2) for which individual coverage has been selected.
(f) Prohibition on reconstitution
The Secretary shall ensure that producers on a farm do not reconstitute the farm to void or change an election or selection made under this section.
(g) Special election
(1) In general
In the case of acres allocated to seed cotton on a farm, for the 2018 crop year, all of the producers on the farm shall be given the opportunity to make a new 1-time election under subsection (a) to reflect the designation of seed cotton as a covered commodity for that crop year under section 9011(6)(B) of this title.
(2) Effect of failure to make unanimous election
If all the producers on a farm fail to make a unanimous election under paragraph (1), the producers on the farm shall be deemed to have elected price loss coverage under section 9016 of this title for acres allocated on the farm to seed cotton.
(h) Option to change election
(1) In general
For the 2021 crop year and each crop year thereafter, all of the producers on a farm may change the election under subsection (a), subsection (c), or this subsection, as applicable, to price loss coverage or agriculture risk coverage, as applicable.
(2) Applicability
An election change under paragraph (1) shall apply to—
(A) the crop year for which the election change is made; and
(B) each crop year thereafter until another election change is made under that paragraph.
(i) Higher of price loss coverage payments and agriculture risk coverage payments
For the 2025 crop year, the Secretary shall, on a covered commodity-by-covered commodity basis, make the higher of price loss coverage payments under section 9016 of this title and agriculture risk coverage county coverage payments under section 9017 of this title to the producers on a farm for the payment acres for each covered commodity on the farm.
(Pub. L. 113–79, title I, § 1115, Feb. 7, 2014, 128 Stat. 667; Pub. L. 115–123, div. F, § 60101(a)(7), Feb. 9, 2018, 132 Stat. 309; Pub. L. 115–334, title I, § 1105, Dec. 20, 2018, 132 Stat. 4503; Pub. L. 119–21, title I, § 10303(a), July 4, 2025, 139 Stat. 89.)
heading: Editorial Notes
heading: Codification
text: Provisions of law applicable to a covered commodity for the 2023 crop year pursuant to title I of Pub. L. 113–79 applicable to the 2024 crop year for that covered commodity, see section 102(c)(1) of Pub. L. 118–22, set out in an Extension of Agricultural Programs note under section 9001 of this title.
heading: Amendments
text: 2025—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 119–21, § 10303(a)(1), substituted “2031” for “2023” in introductory provisions.
Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 119–21, § 10303(a)(2)(A), in introductory provisions, substituted “crop year,” for “crop year or” and inserted “or the 2026 crop year,” after “2019 crop year,”.
Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 119–21, § 10303(a)(2)(B), substituted “crop year,” for “crop year or” and inserted “or the 2026 crop year,” after “2019 crop year,”.
Subsec. (c)(2)(C). Pub. L. 119–21, § 10303(a)(2)(C), added subpar. (C).
Subsec. (i). Pub. L. 119–21, § 10303(a)(3), added subsec. (i).
2018—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 115–334, § 1105(1), substituted “For the 2014 through 2018 crop years (except as provided in subsection (g)) and for the 2019 through 2023 crop years (subject to subsection (h))” for “Except as provided in subsection (g), for the 2014 through 2018 crop years” in introductory provisions.
Pub. L. 115–123, § 60101(a)(7)(A), substituted “Except as provided in subsection (g), for” for “For” in introductory provisions.
Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 115–334, § 1105(2), substituted “In the election under subsection (a) or (h), as applicable, the producers on a farm that elect to obtain agriculture risk coverage” for “In the election under subsection (a), the producers on a farm that elect under paragraph (2) of such subsection to obtain agriculture risk coverage under section 9017 of this title” in introductory provisions.
Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 115–334, § 1105(3)(A), inserted “or the 2019 crop year, as applicable” after “the 2014 crop year” in introductory provisions.
Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 115–334, § 1105(3)(B), inserted “or the 2019 crop year, as applicable,” after “the 2014 crop year”.
Subsec. (c)(2). Pub. L. 115–334, § 1105(3)(C), added par. (2) and struck out former par. (2) which read as follows: “the producers on the farm shall be deemed to have elected price loss coverage under section 9016 of this title for all covered commodities on the farm for the 2015 through 2018 crop years.”
Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 115–123, § 60101(a)(7)(B), added subsec. (g).
Subsec. (g)(1). Pub. L. 115–334, § 1105(4), inserted “for the 2018 crop year,” after “allocated to seed cotton on a farm,”.
Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 115–334, § 1105(5), added subsec. (h).
heading: Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
heading: Effective Date of 2018 Amendment
text: Amendment by Pub. L. 115–123 applicable beginning with the 2018 crop year, see section 60101(a)(13) of Pub. L. 115–123, set out as a note under section 9011 of this title.