jiayi-li23/proxann_data huggingface dataset:
Topic: Agriculture — Subsidies to Farmers
Subject: Agriculture and food
Date: 2011-05-19 00:00:00

Livestock Marketing Fairness Act - Amends the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921 to prohibit a livestock sale forward contract (with an exception for specified cooperatives) that: (1) does not contain a firm base price that may be equated to a fixed dollar amount on the contract day; (2) is not offered for open public bid; (3) is based on a formula price; or (4) provides for the sale of more than 40 cattle, 30 swine, or other livestock in a quantity as determined by the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA). Defines: (1) "firm base price" as a transaction using an external source reference price; (2) "formula price" as any price term that establishes a base from which a purchase price is calculated on the basis of a price that will not be determined or reported until a date after the forward price is established (with specified exclusions); and (3) "forward contract" as a livestock purchase contract that provides for livestock delivery to a packer at a date that is more than seven days after the date on which the contract is entered into, without regard to whether the contract is for a specified lot of livestock or a specified number of livestock over a certain period of time.
Topic: Agriculture — Subsidies to Farmers
Subject: Public lands and natural resources
Date: 2011-07-11 00:00:00

Arizona Wallow Fire Recovery and Monitoring Act - (Sec. 3) Requires the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to commence within 30 days after enactment of this Act and complete within 75 days an evaluation of the Wallow Fire Area, which shall include: (1) a map of the burn intensity within the Area; (2) a description of the forest conditions in the burned areas, the risks that the conditions in such Area may pose to forest users, communities, private property, and natural resources, and the actions undertaken by the Forest Service to reduce such risks; (3) a map and description of areas for potential hazard tree removal and potential fire-damaged commercial tree removal; (4) preliminary estimates of the costs and receipts to be derived from the hazard tree and fire-damaged commercial timber identified for potential removal and the receipts likely to be lost if action is not taken in a timely manner; and (5) a description of the desired outcomes of rehabilitation and tree removal in burned portions. Requires the Secretary to exclude from areas identified for tree removal high fire-severity burned areas on steep slopes, slopes with an incline greater than 40%, riparian areas, and fragile erosive sites, unless tree removal in those areas is necessary to address public health and safety concerns. (Sec. 4) Requires the Secretary: (1) to identify projects to reduce such risks by removing hazard trees and fire-damaged, dead, and dying timber resources in such Area; (2) to consider the results of the evaluation in identifying such projects; (3) in selecting tree removal techniques, to take into account the degree of ground disturbances, soil types, soil saturation, worker safety, threatened or endangered species, aquatic systems, and other ecological values associated with project sites; (4) to use an effectiveness monitoring framework to assess the ecological and economic effects of each timber removal project carried out; and (5) in carrying out such projects, to focus tree removal to hazard trees and trees that are already down, dead, or so severely root-sprung that mortality is highly probable and not construct any permanent road. Expresses the intent of Congress that all projects be completed by September 30, 2013. Authorizes the Secretary to use the pre-decisional administrative review process in lieu of an administrative appeal under the Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1993 for any collaboratively-developed project to remove hazard trees and fire-damaged, dead, and dying timber resources in such Area for which a decision notice or record of decision has been issued by September 30, 2012.
Topic: Agriculture — Subsidies to Farmers
Subject: Agriculture and food
Date: 2011-07-27 00:00:00

Farming Flexibility Act of 2011 - Amends the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 to consider mung beans and pulse crops as covered commodities whose planting on base acres is prohibited unless the commodity, if planted, is destroyed before harvest. Provides that: (1) as of crop year 2012 producers on a farm may reduce the base acres for any covered commodity for a crop year by one acre for each acre used for the production of fruits or vegetables (other than potatoes) for processing; (2) such acres devoted to fruits or vegetables shall be included in base acres for the covered commodity for the subsequent crop year unless the producers on the farm make the election to produce fruits and vegetables for the subsequent crop year; and (3) if a farm's base acres are recalculated the production of fruits or vegetables shall be considered to be the same as the planting, prevented planting, or production of a covered commodity. Requires producers to: (1) demonstrate that they have entered into a contract to produce a fruit or vegetable crop for processing, (2) produce such crop as part of a crop rotation program to achieve agronomic and pest and disease management benefits, and (3) provide evidence of the crop's disposition.
Topic: Agriculture — Subsidies to Farmers
Subject: Agriculture and food
Date: 2011-09-21 00:00:00

Agricultural Credit Expansion Act - Amends the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to expand eligibility for Farm Service Agency operating loans, farm ownership loans, conservation loans, and emergency loans. Deems specified embedded entities (an entity owned wholly or in part by another entity) eligible for farm ownership and operating loans. Deems specified operating-only entities eligible for farm ownership loans. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to determine that an entity that is an owner-operator or operator meets the direct ownership loan requirement if it is owned in whole or in part by other entities and each individual that is an owner of the family farm involved has an ownership interest in each of the other entities. Permits direct loans to be used to refinance Farm Service Agency loans or guaranteed loans. Eliminates the 15-year limitation on the period operating loan borrowers are eligible for guaranteed assistance.
Topic: Agriculture — Subsidies to Farmers
Subject: Agriculture and food
Date: 2011-09-22 00:00:00

Shellfish Equity Act of 2011 - Amends the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 to include shellfish as an eligible crop in the noninsured crop disaster assistance program. Amends the Federal Crop Insurance Act to include shellfish producers in the emergency assistance for livestock program.
Topic: Agriculture — Subsidies to Farmers
Subject: Agriculture and food
Date: 2011-09-23 00:00:00

Aggregate Risk and Revenue Management Act of 2011 or the ARRM Act of 2011 - Amends the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA), regarding all covered commodities and peanuts during each of the 2013-2017 crop years, to give the operator, tenant, or sharecropper on a farm an opportunity to make an annual election for all producers on the farm to receive aggregate risk and revenue management payments for the crop year for which the election is made. (Replaces the average crop revenue election program with the ARRM program.) Repeals the direct and counter-cyclical payment programs for covered commodities and peanuts beginning with the 2013 crop year. Suspends permanent price support authority through December 31, 2017.
Topic: Agriculture — Subsidies to Farmers
Subject: Agriculture and food
Date: 2011-10-03 00:00:00

Federal Milk Marketing Improvement Act of 2011 - Amends the Agricultural Adjustment Act, reenacted with amendments by the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937, to direct the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to base the minimum Class II milk price on the national average cost of production which shall be the difference between: (1) the national average of the operating cost and the allocated overhead cost of producing all milk in the 48 contiguous states, and (2) the opportunity cost for unpaid labor of producing all milk in such states. Directs the Secretary to: (1) announce the minimum price for Class II milk by November 1 of each year, with specified price adjustment dates; and (2) use the Class II milk price as the basic formula price for all federal and state milk marketing orders and all unregulated milk production areas. States that the price of Class I (fluid) milk price in all federal and state milk marketing orders and all unregulated milk production areas shall be equal to the basic formula price plus the applicable Class I differential under federal and state milk marketing orders. Directs the Secretary to: (1) identify all dairy products imported into and exported from the United States, and determine each product's quantity of raw milk; (2) identify the total quantity of milk produced by each dairy producer or farming operation during the three preceding years; (3) if the maximum quantity of milk and milk products has been purchased for mandated federal food programs, determine whether an excess quantity of milk and milk products is being produced for the national domestic market; (4) estimate annual milk production and domestic consumption; and (5) upon a determination of a positive dairy trade balance and excess production, provide for a producer price reduction of up to 5% (not to exceed one-half the minimum Class II milk price) of all milk produced in the 48 contiguous states and marketed by producers for commercial use. Provides new dairy producers with a limited exemption from price reductions. Directs the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) to establish a dairy producer account. Prohibits imposition of producer charges for the cost of converting raw milk to manufactured products. States that: (1) disapproval of an amendment to a federal milk order shall not be considered disapproval of the order, and (2) a milk handler that purchases milk from a dairy producer shall assume title for the milk when it is pumped into a milk truck provided by or otherwise delivered to the milk handler.
Topic: Agriculture — Subsidies to Farmers
Subject: Agriculture and food
Date: 2011-10-12 00:00:00

Dairy Advancement Act of 2011 - Amends the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 to repeal the dairy product price support program. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to permit dairy producers, as an alternative to receiving milk income loss contract program payments, to receive livestock gross margin insurance that protects against the loss of gross margin (milk market value minus feed costs) for the initial election month through September 30, 2012. Provides for a limited subsidy. Directs the Secretary to establish a two-class system (fluid and manufacturing milk classes) for classifying milk under federal milk marketing orders. Amends the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to authorize loans and loan guarantees to provide dairy producers with incentives to invest in new equipment and technologies. Amends the Farm Credit Act to authorize banks for cooperatives to provide dairy processing cooperatives with lines of credit and accounts receivable financing to develop export opportunities for milk and milk products. Amends the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 to revise dairy product/commodity reporting provisions.
Topic: Agriculture — Subsidies to Farmers
Subject: Agriculture and food
Date: 2011-10-17 00:00:00

Dairy Producer Income Protection Act of 2011 - Amends the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 to extend the milk income loss contract program. Revises payment, feed cost adjustment, and payment quantity (pound) calculations. Eliminates: (1) milk price supports, (2) dairy product price supports, and (3) the dairy export incentive program. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to conduct hearings to assess the implications of transitioning federal milk marketing orders from end-product pricing to a competitive pay pricing system.
Topic: Agriculture — Subsidies to Farmers
Subject: Agriculture and food
Date: 2011-10-17 00:00:00

Dairy Pricing Reform and Farmer Protection Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to conduct hearings to assess the implications of transitioning federal milk marketing orders from end-product pricing to a competitive pay pricing system. Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish a dairy producer margin protection program to protect dairy producer income through the provision of basic margin protection payments and, if purchased by a dairy producer, supplemental margin protection payments when actual dairy producer margins are less than the threshold levels for the payments; and (2) conduct the program from January 1, 2012, through December 31, 2017. Makes all registering U.S. dairy producers eligible for: (1) the program, and (2) a two-tiered basic margin protection program. Authorizes a producer to purchase supplemental margin protection at the time of program registration. Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish a dairy market stabilization program for all U.S. dairy producers in order to balance the supply of milk with demand when the total percent production growth in milk products in a federal milk marketing order exceeds the combined percent growth in Class I, II, and III milk products; and (2) conduct the program from January 1, 2012, through December 31, 2017. Eliminates the: (1) dairy product price support program, (2) the dairy forward pricing program, (3) the milk income loss contract program, and (4) the dairy export incentive program.
Topic: Agriculture — Subsidies to Farmers
Subject: Agriculture and food
Date: 2011-11-10 00:00:00

Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act of 2011 - Amends the Food Security Act of 1985 to extend: (1) the conservation reserve and related programs, (2) the pilot program for enrollment of wetland and buffer acreage in the conservation reserve program, (3) the environmental quality incentives program, (4) activities to address air quality concerns from agricultural operations, and (5) the conservation access program. Permits conservation reserve contract modification to facilitate transfers from retiring owners to limited resource farmers or ranchers. Amends the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to: (1) reduce the number of operating years required for a beginning farmer or rancher to qualify for a direct real estate loan, (2) authorize micro loans for beginning farmers or ranchers who are between 19 and 35 years old, (3) extend real estate and operating loan authority at increased levels, (4) revise private source transition provisions, (5) make the direct operating loan set-aside for beginning farmers and ranchers permanent, (6) permit loans and grants for entrepreneurial farm and farm-related enterprises, and (7) extend the beginning farmer and rancher individual development accounts pilot program. Amends the Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000 to extend the value-added agricultural product market development grant program. Amends the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to extend the beginning farmer and rancher development program. Provides assistance for agricultural rehabilitation and vocational training for veterans. Amends the Competitive, Special, and Facilities Research Grant Act to extend the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative. Provides priority assistance for new farming opportunities, including young, beginning, socially disadvantaged, and immigrant issues, as well as farm entry, transition, and transfer issues. Amends the Federal Crop Insurance Act to express the sense of Congress that the Department of Agriculture (USDA) should remove barriers and ensure effective access to crop and revenue insurance by beginning farmers and ranchers. Extends authority for reimbursement of research, development, and maintenance costs. Provides for risk management programs targeted at beginning, socially disadvantaged, transitioning, or legal immigrant farmers and ranchers. Amends the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 to direct the Small Farms and Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Group (within the Office of Advocacy and Outreach) to designate a state small and beginning farmer and rancher coordinator from among the state office employees of the Farm Service Agency, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Risk Management Agency, the Rural Business-Cooperative Service, and the Rural Utilities Service. Amends the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 to establish in USDA the position of Military Veterans Agricultural Liaison.
Topic: Agriculture — Subsidies to Farmers
Subject: Agriculture and food
Date: 2011-11-17 00:00:00

Growing Opportunities for Agriculture and Responding to Markets Act of 2011 - Amends the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to establish a local farm business and market garden loan program to make available to eligible lending entities loans to develop revolving loan funds to assist: (1) producers in establishing local farm business projects or market garden projects that will produce fresh foods locally, and (2) local farm business projects and market garden projects to create local employment opportunities. Sets forth program provisions.
Topic: Agriculture — Subsidies to Farmers
Subject: Economics and public finance
Date: 2011-11-17 00:00:00

Upstate Works Act - Amends the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act to: (1) direct the Secretary of Commerce to establish a program to provide grants to states to establish revolving loan funds to provide loans to small and medium-sized manufacturers to finance the cost of reequipping, expanding, or establishing manufacturing facilities in the United States to produce clean energy technology and energy efficient products or of reducing the energy intensity or greenhouse gas production of a manufacturing facility; and (2) include as an activity of Regional Centers for the Transfer of Manufacturing Technology (known as the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Centers) the establishment of a clean energy manufacturing supply chain initiative. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a 50% tax credit for investment in value-added agricultural property. Directs the Secretary of Labor to award grants to assist eligible consortia of businesses that serve counties with populations of no more than a million residents in improving job skills necessary for employment in specific industries. Extends the authorization of appropriations for loans and loan guarantees to extend access to broadband telecommunications services in rural areas through FY2017. Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the Build America Bond program, to: (1) extend until December 31, 2012, the authority to issue such bonds and the authority for payments to issuers of such bonds, (2) reduce the percentage rate of payments to issuers in 2011 and 2012, (3) allow refundings of currently issued bonds, and (4) allow the use of Build America bonds to fund capital expenditures for levees and flood control projects.
Topic: Agriculture — Subsidies to Farmers
Subject: Agriculture and food
Date: 2011-11-18 00:00:00

Amends the Federal Crop Insurance Act to revise crop insurance provisions regarding approval of advance payments for a portion of specialty crop research and development costs.
Topic: Agriculture — Subsidies to Farmers
Subject: Agriculture and food
Date: 2012-03-05 00:00:00

Amends the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to include facilities that convert renewable biomass into renewable chemicals in the definitions of "biomass conversion facility" and "biorefinery." Defines "renewable chemical" as a monomer, polymer, plastic, or formulated product produced from renewable biomass. Amends the biobased markets program to: (1) require federal procuring agencies to issue a certain number of biobased-only contracts; and (2) require the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to designate intermediate ingredients or feedstocks and assembled and finished biobased products in the program guidelines; (3) require the Secretary to issue criteria for determining which assembled and finished products may carry the USDA Certified Biobased Product label; (4) require the Secretary to assess the economic impact of the biobased products industry; (5) authorize the Secretary to carry out outreach, education, and promotion activities; and (6) authorize the Secretary to perform audits. Makes renewable chemicals and biobased product manufacturing eligible for grant and loan guarantee assistance. Eliminates feedstocks research, development, and demonstration activities from the Biomass Research and Development Initiative.
Topic: Agriculture — Subsidies to Farmers
Subject: Agriculture and food
Date: 2012-03-21 00:00:00

Rural Energy Savings Program Act - Amends the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA), through the Rural Utilities Service, to make interest-free loans to eligible entities (public power districts, public utility districts, or specified electric cooperatives that borrowed and repaid, prepaid, or are paying an electric loan made or guaranteed by the Rural Utilities Service) for loans to consumers to implement energy efficient measures. Provides a special advance for start-up activities. Authorizes the Secretary to contract with a qualified entity to provide verification and measurement activities and employee technical assistance and training. Directs the Secretary to offer to enter into agreements with eligible entities, or groups of eligible entities, that have specified energy efficiency programs to establish energy efficiency loan demonstration projects.
Topic: Agriculture — Subsidies to Farmers
Subject: Science, technology, communications
Date: 2012-03-29 00:00:00

Broadband Connections for Rural Opportunities Program Act of 2012 or the B-CROP Act of 2012 - Amends the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to: (1) award grants to eligible entities for the deployment, identification, or adoption of broadband services within eligible rural communities; and (2) reduce the paperwork required of rural broadband program applicants. Authorizes the Secretary to use specified funds for a national competition to create an Internet-accessible rural broadband clearinghouse.
Topic: Agriculture — Subsidies to Farmers
Subject: Agriculture and food
Date: 2012-07-12 00:00:00

Supplemental Agricultural Disaster Assistance Extension Act of 2012 - Extends through FY2012: (1) the supplemental agricultural disaster assistance program; (2) the supplemental revenue assistance payments (SURE) program; (3) the livestock indemnity program; (4) the livestock forage disaster program; (5) the emergency assistance for livestock, honey bees, and farm-raised fish; (6) the tree assistance program; and (7) the Agricultural Disaster Relief Trust Fund.
Topic: Agriculture — Subsidies to Farmers
Subject: Agriculture and food
Date: 2012-07-17 00:00:00

Wildfire and Drought Relief for Ranchers and Farmers Act of 2012 - Amends the Federal Crop Insurance Act to direct the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to use Commodity Credit Corporation funds in FY2012 for the following supplemental agricultural disaster programs: (1) the livestock indemnity program; (2) the livestock forage disaster program; (3) the emergency assistance for livestock, honey bees, and farm-raised fish program; and (4) the tree assistance program.
Topic: Agriculture — Subsidies to Farmers
Subject: Agriculture and food
Date: 2012-11-15 00:00:00

Kosher and Halal Food Act of 2012 - Amends the Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 to provide for the increased purchase of Kosher and Halal food and to modify the labeling of the commodities list under the emergency food assistance program to enable Kosher and Halal food bank operators to identify which commodities to obtain from local food banks.