The 2012 Farm Bill: A Comparison of Senate-Passed S. 3240 and the House Agriculture Committee’s H.R. 6083 with Current Law
Released: 2012-10-24T00:00:00

Introduction

The 112 th Congress is in the midst of considering an omnibus farm bill that will establish the direction of agricultural policy for the next several years. Many provisions of the current farm bill (the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, P.L. 110-246 ) expire this year.

The Senate Agriculture Committee approved its version of the 2012 omnibus farm bill on April 26, 2012 (Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2012), and officially filed the measure, S. 3240 , on May 24, 2012. After the bill was filed, more than 300 amendments were proposed for consideration on the Senate floor. By mid-June, an agreement was reached to limit the debate to 77 of the proposed amendments, of which 45 were adopted between June 19 and June 21. The full Senate approved S. 3240 , as amended, by a vote of 64-35 on June 21.

The House Agriculture Committee completed markup of its version of the farm bill ( H.R. 6083 , the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2012) on July 11, 2012, and approved the amended measure by a 35-11 vote. Nearly 100 amendments were offered for committee consideration, of which nearly half were adopted by the committee. The House bill was officially filed and reported by the committee on September 13, 2012.

Within their 12 titles, the five-year House and Senate farm bills would reshape the structure of farm commodity support, expand crop insurance coverage, consolidate conservation programs, revise the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly food stamps), and extend authority to appropriate funds for many U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) discretionary programs through FY2017.

Following are summaries of the major similarities and differences within each of the 12 titles of the respective versions of the House Agriculture Committee-approved and Senate-passed 2012 farm bills. The summaries are followed by a comprehensive title-by-title comparison of all of the House and Senate provisions with each other and with current law or policy.

Budgetary Impact1

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects that the programs of the 2008 farm bill, if they were to continue, would cost nearly $1 trillion over the next 10 years. Compared to this "baseline," the Senate-passed farm bill, S. 3240 , would reduce spending by $23.1 billion (2.3%); and the House Agriculture Committee-reported bill, H.R. 6083 , would reduce it by $35.1 billion (-3.5%). The $23 billion 10-year reduction (or "score") in the Senate bill is consistent with a joint House-Senate Agriculture Committee proposal to the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction in fall 2011. The $35 billion 10-year reduction in the House bill is consistent with reconciliation instructions in the House budget resolution for FY2013.

The net reduction in each bill is composed of some titles receiving more funding than in the past, while other titles provide offsets for deficit reduction. Figure 1 illustrates the budgetary impacts of changes to each title in each bill, and the following table contains the data in tabular form. More background and detail on the budget available to write the farm bill, the CBO scores of each bill, and other budgetary issues is available in CRS Report R42484, Budget Issues Shaping a 2012 Farm Bill .

Title-by-Title Summaries of the House (H.R. 6083) and Senate (S. 3240) 2012 Farm Bills

Farm Bill Title I, Commodity Programs2

Under both the Senate-passed ( S. 3240 ) and House Agriculture Committee-reported ( H.R. 6083 ) farm bills, farm support for traditional program crops is restructured by eliminating direct payments, the existing counter-cyclical price program, and the Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) program. Authority is continued for marketing assistance loans, which provide additional low-price protection at "loan rates" specified in current law (with an adjustment made to the cotton loan rate). Direct payments account for most of current commodity spending and are made to producers and landowners based on historical production of corn, wheat, soybeans, cotton, rice, peanuts, and other "covered" crops. Some of the 10-year, $50 billion in savings associated with the proposed elimination of direct payments would be used to offset the cost of revising farm programs and enhancing crop insurance in Title XI. Both bills provide programs for covered crops, except cotton, which would have its own program (see " Farm Bill Title XI, Crop Insurance ").

Both bills borrow conceptually from current programs, revising (and renaming) them to enhance price or revenue protection for producers.

The House bill is similar to the current mix of farm programs in that it retains producer choice between a counter-cyclical price program (renamed Price Loss Coverage or PLC) and a revenue program (renamed Revenue Loss Coverage or RLC). For PLC, the price guarantees ("reference prices") that determine payment levels are increased relative to parameters in the current program to better protect producers in a market downturn. For RLC, the guarantee is based on historical revenue at the county level, so losses are more likely to be covered than under the current ACRE, which calculates the guarantee at the state level. In contrast to the House bill, the Senate bill provides for only a revised revenue program called Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC). It offers a slightly higher guarantee than in the House bill, plus an option for farmers to select coverage at either the county or individual farm level.

Five disaster programs were established in the 2008 farm bill for weather-induced losses in FY2008-FY2011. Both S. 3240 and H.R. 6083 reauthorize four programs covering livestock and tree assistance for FY2012-FY2017. The crop disaster program from the 2008 farm bill (i.e., Supplemental Revenue Assistance, or SURE) is not reauthorized in either bill, but elements of it are folded into the new ARC in the Senate bill by allowing producers to protect against farm-level revenue losses (not included in House bill). S. 3240 also provides disaster benefits to tree fruit producers who suffered crop losses in 2012.

Farm commodity programs have certain limits that cap payments (currently $105,000 per person) and set eligibility based on adjusted gross income (AGI, currently $500,000 per person for nonfarm income and $750,000 for farm income). The two bills diverge from current law and each other, with S. 3240 reducing the farm program payment limit to $50,000 per person for ARC and adding a $75,000 limit on loan deficiency payments (LDPs). The program payment limit under the H.R. 6083 is $125,000 for PLC and RLC, with no limit on LDPs. The Senate bill changes the threshold to be considered actively engaged and to qualify for payments, by effectively requiring personal labor in the farming operation. Both bills also tighten limits on AGI, with a combined AGI limit of $750,000 in S. 3240 and $950,000 in H.R. 6083 .

For dairy policy, both bills contain similar, significant changes, including elimination of the dairy product price support program, the Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC) program, and export subsidies. These are replaced by a new program, which makes payments to participating dairy producers when the national margin (average farm price of milk minus average feed costs) falls below $4.00 per hundredweight (cwt.), with coverage at higher margins available for purchase. Another provision makes participating producers subject to a separate program, which reduces incentives to produce milk when margins are low. Federal milk marketing orders have permanent statutory authority and continue intact. However, S. 3240 (but not H.R. 6083 ) includes two provisions that require more frequent reporting of dairy market information and studies on potential changes to the federal milk marketing order system.

The sugar program is left unchanged in both bills, with an exception in the Senate bill that advances the date (to February 1 from April 1) that USDA can increase the import quota.

Farm Bill Title II, Conservation5

The current agricultural conservation portfolio includes over 20 conservation programs. The conservation titles of both the Senate-passed ( S. 3240 ) and House Agriculture Committee-reported ( H.R. 6083 ) farm bills reduce and consolidate the number of conservation programs while also reducing mandatory funding more than $6 billion over the 10-year baseline.

Many of the larger existing conservation programs, such as the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), and the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), are reauthorized by both bills with smaller and similar conservation programs "rolled" into them. In response to reduced demand and as a budget saving measure, the largest conservation program, CRP, is reauthorized with a reduced acreage enrollment cap using a step-down approach from the current 32 million acres to 25 million by FY2017 under both bills. CRP also is amended to include the enrollment of grassland acres similar to the Grasslands Reserve Program (GRP), which is repealed. These grassland acres are limited to 1.5 million acres in S. 3240 and 2 million acres in H.R. 6083 . EQIP, a program that assists producers with conservation measures on land in production, is reauthorized by both bills with a 5% funding carve-out for wildlife habitat practices (similar to the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program, WHIP, which is repealed). The Senate-passed bill reduces EQIP a total of almost $1 billion over 10 years, while the House committee bill offers no reduction from the current $1.75 billion annually. CSP, another working land program, is reauthorized at a reduced enrollment level under both bills: 10.348 million acres annually under S. 3240 and 9 million acres annually under H.R. 6083 , down from 12.769 million acres annually under current law.

Both bills create two new conservation programs—the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) and the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP)—out of several of the remaining programs. Conservation easement programs, including the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP), Farmland Protection Program (FPP), and GRP, are repealed and consolidated to create ACEP. ACEP retains most of the program provisions in the current easement programs by establishing two types of easements: wetlands easements (similar to WRP) that protect and restore wetlands, and agricultural land easements (similar to FPP and GRP) that prevent non-agricultural uses on productive farm or grassland. The Agricultural Water Enhancement Program (AWEP), Chesapeake Bay Watershed program, Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative (CCPI), and Great Lakes basin program are repealed by both bills and consolidated into the new RCPP. RCPP uses partnership agreements with state and local governments, Indian tribes, farmer cooperatives, and other conservation organizations to leverage federal funding and further conservation on a regional or watershed scale.

The Senate-passed bill adds the federally funded portion of crop insurance premiums to the list of program benefits that could be lost if a producer is found to produce an agricultural commodity on highly erodible land without an approved conservation plan or qualifying exemption, or converts a wetland to crop production. This prerequisite, referred to as conservation compliance, has existed since the 1985 farm bill and currently affects most USDA farm program benefits, but has excluded crop insurance since 1996. The House committee bill offers no comparable provision.

Farm Bill Title III, Trade6

The trade title of the farm bill deals with statutes concerning U.S. international food aid and agricultural export market development programs. Both S. 3240 and H.R. 6083 reauthorize all of the international food aid programs, including the largest, Food for Peace Title II (emergency and nonemergency food aid). Both bills contain amendments to current food aid law that place greater emphasis on improving the quality of food aid products (i.e., enhancing their nutritional quality). The Senate bill places new restrictions on the practice of monetization or selling U.S. food aid commodities in recipient countries to raise cash to finance development projects. In this regard, S. 3240 requires implementing partners such as U.S. private voluntary organizations or cooperatives to recover 70% of the U.S. commodity procurement and shipping costs. The Senate bill repeals the specified dollar amounts for nonemergency food aid required in current law (the "safe box"). In place of the safe box S. 3240 provides that nonemergency food aid be not less than 20% nor more than 30% of funds made available to carry out the program, subject to the requirement that a minimum of $275 million be provided for nonemergency food aid. The House bill places no limits on the practice of monetization, other than new reporting requirements, and fixes the amount of "safe box" nonemergency assistance at $400 million annually.

Both bills reauthorize funding for the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) Export Credit Guarantee program and various agricultural export market promotion programs. S. 3240 reduces the value of U.S. agricultural exports that can benefit from export credit guarantees from $5.5 billion to $4.5 billion annually. The House bill retains the $5.5 billion level of guarantees. Both bills authorize CCC funding of $200 million annually for the Market Access Program (MAP), which finances promotional activities for both generic and branded U.S. agricultural products. MAP had been targeted in a number of deficit reduction proposals for elimination. Authorized CCC funding for the Foreign Market Development Program (FMDP), a generic commodity promotion program, continues in both bills at $34.5 billion annually through F2017.

H.R. 6083 authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to establish the position of Under Secretary of Agriculture for Foreign Agricultural Services, while S. 3240 calls for a study of the trade functions of USDA, noting that in implementing the study, the Secretary may include a recommendation for the establishment of an Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agriculture.

Farm Bill Title IV, Nutrition7

Title IV of both S. 3240 and H.R. 6083 largely maintains the nutrition program policies and discretionary and mandatory funding that are contained in the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 and other nutrition program authorizing statutes. Of the changes made, many are the same in the two bills, but the bills also differ in a number of ways, most notably in recognized cost savings associated with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps). CBO estimates total 10-year budget savings of $4.0 billion in the Senate bill and $16.1 billion in the House bill.

SNAP provisions in both bills include changes to the requirements for retailers who apply for authorization to accept SNAP and changes to some of the rules that govern participants' and retailers' redemption of SNAP benefits. Both bills provide additional mandatory funding for reducing SNAP trafficking (the sale of SNAP benefits for cash or ineligible goods), although the Senate provides a larger amount. In terms of eligibility for SNAP and the calculation of monthly benefit amounts, both bills identically change how a household's receipt of Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) benefits affects the household's SNAP benefit calculation. However, the House bill also restricts categorical eligibility, repeals state performance bonuses, and clarifies the consideration of medical marijuana expenses. The House bill also makes changes to the nutrition assistance provided to the Northern Mariana Islands and Puerto Rico.

Both bills increase Community Food Projects grants (the Senate by $5 million and the House by $10 million); the House bill also carves out $5 million of these grants for projects that incentivize low-income households to purchase fruits and vegetables. Both bills increase mandatory funding for the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), the Senate by $174 million over 10 years, and the House Committee by $270 million (according to CBO). Both bills would limit eligibility for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) to low-income elderly participants, phasing out eligibility for low-income pregnant and post-partum women, infants, and children. The Senate adds discretionary authority for a Healthy Food Financing Initiative, a financing mechanism to sustain and create food retail opportunities in communities that lack access to healthy food; and provides $100 million (over five years) in mandatory funding for Hunger-Free Communities Incentive Grants, which funds programs that provide incentives for SNAP participants' purchase of fruits and vegetables; neither of these programs are included in the House committee's bill.

Within the child nutrition programs, the Senate bill includes authorization and funding to continue a whole grain pilot program and to begin a pulse crops pilot program, whereas the House bill does not include these pilots and eliminates the "fresh" requirement in the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program. Both bills include additional authorizations for farm-to-school efforts.

Farm Bill Title V, Credit8

The Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (also known as the ConAct) is the permanent statute that authorizes USDA agricultural credit and rural development programs. USDA serves as a lender of last resort by providing direct and guaranteed loans to farmers and ranchers who are denied direct credit by commercial lenders but have the wherewithal to repay the loan.

Both the Senate and House bills make relatively small policy changes to USDA's credit programs. Both bills give USDA discretion to recognize (1) alternative legal entities to qualify for farm loans and (2) alternatives to meet a three-year farming experience requirement; and both bills increase the maximum size of down-payment loans.

The Senate farm bill also updates and modernizes the ConAct's statutory language and organizes the various programs into separate subtitles (new Subtitle A is farm loans; Subtitle B is rural development; Subtitle C is general provisions). Generally, most of the revised ConAct provisions are substantially the same, but are renumbered and reorganized. The Senate bill also extends the number of years that farmers can remain eligible for direct farm operating loans, and eliminates term limits on guaranteed operating loans.

The House bill's credit title does not restructure the ConAct nor change any term limits provisions. However, the House bill does create a new microloan program, increases the percentage of a conservation loan that can be guaranteed, and adds another lending priority for beginning farmers, among other changes.

Other non-USDA credit programs—such as the Farm Credit Act, which establishes the Farm Credit System and Farmer Mac—could be part of the farm bill, but neither the House bill nor the Senate addresses these programs.

Farm Bill Title VI, Rural Development9

Like Title V, discussed above, Title VI of S. 3240 is a restructuring of the ConAct, which provides permanent authority for USDA to carry out its portfolio of rural development programs. Title VI of H.R. 6083 makes funding authorization amendments to many existing rural development programs (at levels mostly lower than those of the Senate bill), but generally offers no new provisions, nor does it significantly modify current programs authorized under the ConAct and the Rural Electrification Act. The House bill does include a new provision directing the Secretary of Agriculture to begin collecting data on the economic effects of the projects that USDA Rural Development funds, and directs the Secretary to develop simplified applications for funding.

The Senate bill consolidates various rural water and wastewater assistance programs and the Community Facilities loan and grant program into a new Rural Community Program category, and establishes criteria for which rural communities will receive priority in making loan and grant awards. The restructuring of the ConAct also eliminates several business programs, but consolidates many of their objectives into a broad program of Business and Cooperative Development grants. Separately, S. 3240 provides a total of $115 million in mandatory rural development funding, including funds for the Value-Added Producer Grant Program ($12.5 million annually for FY2014-FY2017) and the Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program ($3.75 million annually for FY2014-FY2017), and $50 million in mandatory spending for pending rural development loans and grants. The House bill contains no mandatory spending authorization.

S. 3240 retains the definition of "rural" and "rural area" for purposes of program eligibility and makes it the basis for all rural development programs. The definition of "rural area" for electric and telephone programs has been eliminated, and becomes the same as for other rural programs. The bill retains the 2008 farm bill provision permitting communities that might otherwise be ineligible for USDA Rural Development funding to petition USDA to designate their communities as "rural in character," thereby making them eligible for program support. S. 3240 also eliminates the existing statutory definition of "rural" and "rural areas" for water and waste water programs and community facilities, but permits areas currently deemed as rural to remain eligible for these programs, unless USDA determines that they are no longer "rural in character."

Also included in both the House and Senate bills is reauthorization of funding for programs under the Rural Electrification Act of 1936, including the Access to Broadband Telecommunications Services in Rural Areas Program and the Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program. The Senate bill also establishes a new grant program for the Access to Broadband Telecommunications Services in Rural Areas Program in addition to its current loan guarantee program. The Delta Regional Authority and the Northern Great Plains Regional Authority are reauthorized by both bills, but the Senate bill makes various technical changes to the organizational structure and operation of the two authorities.

Farm Bill Title VII, Research, Extension, and Related Matters10

USDA is authorized under various laws to conduct agricultural research at the federal level, and provides support for cooperative research, extension, and post-secondary agricultural education programs in the states. Both bills reauthorize funding for these activities for FY2013-FY2017, subject to annual appropriations, and amend authority so that only competitive grants can be awarded under certain programs.

In both bills, mandatory funding is increased for the Specialty Crop Research Initiative ($416 million over 10 years) and the Organic Agricultural Research and Extension Initiative ($80 million over 10 years). Also, mandatory funding is continued for the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program in both the Senate bill ($85 million) and House bill ($50 million).

New in S. 3240 is mandatory funding of $100 million to establish the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, a nonprofit corporation designed to supplement USDA's basic and applied research activities. It will solicit and accept private donations to award grants for collaborative public/private partnerships with scientists at USDA and in academia, nonprofits, and the private sector.

Farm Bill Title VIII, Forestry11

General forestry legislation is within the jurisdiction of the Agriculture Committees, and past farm bills have included provisions addressing forestry assistance, especially on private lands. Both the Senate-passed and House Agriculture Committee-reported farm bills generally repeal, reauthorize, and modify existing programs and provisions under two main authorities: the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act (CFAA), as amended, and the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (HFRA), as amended.

Most federal forestry programs are permanently authorized, and thus do not require reauthorization in the farm bill. The Senate bill, however, amends several forestry assistance programs by replacing their permanent authority to receive annual appropriations of such sums as necessary with a set level of appropriations through FY2017. The House bill also limits permanent authority for some programs, but in fewer instances than the Senate bill. Both bills repeal programs that have expired or have never received appropriations. Other provisions in both bills include reauthorizing stewardship contracting, requiring revised strategic plans for forest inventory and analysis, and adding alternatives for addressing insect infestations and disease.

Farm Bill Title IX, Energy12

An energy title first appeared in the 2002 farm bill, and was both extended and expanded by the 2008 farm bill. USDA renewable energy programs have been used to incentivize research, development, and adoption of renewable energy projects, including solar, wind, and anaerobic digesters. The primary focus of USDA renewable energy programs has been to promote U.S. biofuels production and use. Cornstarch-based ethanol dominates the U.S. biofuels industry. However, the 2008 farm bill attempted to refocus U.S. biofuels policy initiatives in favor of non-corn feedstocks; the most critical program to this end is the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP), which assists farmers in developing nontraditional crops for use as feedstocks for the eventual production of cellulosic ethanol. All of the major Title IX energy programs expire at the end of FY2012 and lack baseline funding going forward.

Both the Senate-passed bill ( S. 3240 ) and the House Agriculture Committee-reported measure ( H.R. 6083 ) extend most of the renewable energy provisions of Title IX, with the exception of the Repowering Assistance Program, the Rural Energy Self-Sufficiency Initiative, and the Renewable Fertilizer Study, which are repealed by both bills. In addition, S. 3240 repeals the Forest Biomass for Energy Program, while the House bill repeals the Biofuels Infrastructure Study. The primary difference between the House and Senate bills is in the source of funding. The Senate bill contains $800 million in new mandatory funding and authorizes $1.140 billion in appropriations for the various Title IX programs over the FY2013-FY2017 period. In contrast, H.R. 6083 contains no mandatory funding for Title IX programs, while authorizing $1.355 billion subject to appropriations. In addition, the House bill prevents USDA from spending Rural Energy for America (REAP) program funds on retail blender pumps and eliminates all support for the collection, harvest, storage, and transportation (CHST) component of BCAP, severely limiting its potential effectiveness as an incentive to produce cellulosic feedstocks.

Farm Bill Title X, Horticulture13

The horticulture titles of both S. 3240 and H.R. 6083 reauthorize many of the existing farm bill provisions supporting farming operations in the specialty crop and certified organic sectors. CBO estimates a total increase in mandatory spending of $360 million (FY2013-FY2017) for Title X in the Senate bill and $428 million in the House bill. Many of the Title X provisions fall into the categories of marketing and promotion; organic certification; data and information collection; pest and disease control; food safety and quality standards; and local foods. The House bill also includes several provisions that are not in the Senate bill that would provide exemptions from certain regulatory requirements under some laws, including the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Endangered Species Act, among other modifications.

Provisions affecting the specialty crop and certified organic sectors are not limited to Title X, but are contained within several other titles of the farm bill. These include programs in the research, nutrition, and trade titles, among others. Both the House and Senate bills reauthorize (and in some cases provide for increased funding for) several key programs benefitting specialty crop producers, including the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, plant pest and disease programs, USDA's Market News for specialty crops, the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI), and also the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (Snack Program) and Section 32 purchases for fruits and vegetables under the nutrition title. Both bills also reauthorize most programs benefitting certified organic agriculture producers, including continued support for USDA's National Organic Program (NOP) and development of crop insurance mechanisms for organic producers, Organic Production and Market Data Initiatives (ODI), and research programs such as the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) and the Organic Transitions Program (ORG) under the Integrated Research, Education, and Extension Competitive Grants Program. One exception is that the House bill would repeal the National Organic Certification Cost Share Program (NOCCSP), while the Senate would maintain that program.

Programs in other farm bill titles benefitting specialty crop and certified organic producers also include the Value-Added Producer Grant Program, Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops (TASC), the Market Access Program (MAP), and most conservation programs (including assistance specifically for organic producers), among other programs, within the crop insurance, credit, and miscellaneous titles.

Title X and other titles in both the House and Senate bills also include provisions that would expand opportunities for local food systems and also beginning farmers and ranchers. For example, both bills reauthorize and expand the scope and overall funding for USDA's farmers' market program, which would be renamed the Farmers' Market and Local Food Promotion Program. Other provisions supporting local food producers are within the horticulture, nutrition, rural development, and research titles, among others.

Farm Bill Title XI, Crop Insurance15

Both bills increase funding for crop insurance relative to baseline levels by making several changes to the existing federal crop insurance program, which is permanently authorized by the Federal Crop Insurance Act. The federal crop insurance program makes available subsidized crop insurance to producers who purchase a policy to protect against individual farm losses in yield, crop revenue, or whole farm revenue. An amendment to S. 3240 adopted during floor debate reduces crop insurance premium subsidies by 15 percentage points for producers with average adjusted gross income greater than $750,000.

With cotton not covered by the farm revenue programs established in Title I of both bills, a new crop insurance policy called Stacked Income Protection Plan (STAX) is made available in both bills for cotton producers. Producers could purchase this policy alone or in addition to their individual crop insurance policy, and the indemnity from STAX would pay all or part of the deductible under the individual policy. STAX sets a revenue guarantee based on expected county revenue. For other crops, a similar type of policy called Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO), based on expected county yields or revenue, is made available by both bills as an additional policy. The farmer subsidy as a share of the policy premium is set at 80% for STAX and 70% for SCO.

Additional crop insurance changes in both bills are designed to expand or improve crop insurance for other commodities, including specialty crops. Provisions in both bills revise the value of crop insurance for all organic crops to reflect prices of organic (not conventional) crops. The bills require USDA to conduct more research on whole farm revenue insurance with higher coverage levels than currently available. Studies are also required on insuring (1) specialty crop producers for food safety and contamination-related losses, (2) swine producers for a catastrophic disease event, (3) producers of catfish against reduction in the margin between the market prices and production costs, (4) commercial poultry production against business disruptions caused by integrator bankruptcy, and (5) poultry producers for a catastrophic event (House bill only). A provision in S. 3240 makes payments available to producers who purchase private-sector index weather insurance, which insures against specific weather events and not actual loss. A peanut revenue insurance product also is mandated.

For conservation purposes, a "sod saver" provision in Title XI of S. 3240 reduces crop insurance subsidies and noninsured crop disaster assistance for the first four years of planting on native sod acreage. The same provision in the House bill would apply only to the Prairie Pothole National Priority Area (i.e., portions of Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota). In the Senate bill only, crop insurance premium subsidies are available only if producers are in compliance with wetland conservation requirements (goes into effect immediately) and conservation requirements for highly erodible land (within five years).

Farm Bill Title XII, Miscellaneous16

Title XII of S. 3240 and H.R. 6083 includes provisions that cover three areas: socially disadvantaged and limited-resource producers; livestock; and other miscellaneous.

Both bills extend authority through FY2017 for the Office of Small Farms and Beginning Farmers and Ranchers, which was established in the 2008 farm bill to ensure that minorities and limited-resource producers have access to all USDA programs. They also add military veteran farmers and ranchers as a qualifying group. In addition, the bills establish a military veterans agricultural liaison within USDA to advocate for and to provide information to veterans. Both bills reauthorize funding for the USDA Office of Advocacy and Outreach, which assists socially disadvantaged and limited-resource producers, and both establish an Office of Tribal Relations to coordinate USDA activities with Native American tribes.

Both S. 3240 and H.R. 6083 make available higher coverage levels under the Noninsured Crop Assistance Programs, prohibit attendance at animal-fighting events, and include grants to promote the U.S. maple syrup industry and for technological training for farm workers.

Within its livestock provisions, Title XII of S. 3240 renews the trichinae certification and aquatic animal health programs that were established in the 2008 farm bill; establishes a grant program for research on brucellosis, bovine tuberculosis, and other priority animal diseases; sets up a grant program to study the eradication of feral swine; and establishes a competitive grant program to improve the sheep industry. Title XII of H.R. 6083 includes identical provisions for the trichinae certification and aquatic animal health programs, but does not contain the grant provisions for the animal disease initiative, the sheep industry, and feral swine eradication that are in S. 3240 .

H.R. 6083 includes a provision to repeal regulations on livestock and poultry practices that USDA finalized on February 7, 2012. Within 90 days of enactment, USDA is required to repeal regulations on the definitions of additional capital investments and suspension of delivery of birds, and on applicability of live poultry and the 90-day notification regulation for suspension of delivery of birds. The House bill also requires that USDA submit to Congress reports on how to comply with the World Trade Organization's ruling on country-of-origin labeling and how to meet the needs of small and very small meat and poultry growers and processors. H.R. 6083 reauthorizes funding for the National Sheep Industry Improvement Center, subject to appropriations. These provisions are not included in S. 3240 .

Other miscellaneous provisions in Title XII of H.R. 6083 , but not in S. 3240 , are the High Plains Water Study; prohibitions on closing Farm Service Agency offices with high workloads; flood protection for the Missouri River basin; and a prohibition that states may not establish production standards that would prevent interstate sales of agricultural goods.

Provisions in S. 3240 that are not in H.R. 6083 include clarifications of conditions for releasing data gathered by USDA to state or local government agencies; an increase in the population threshold for the definition of "rural" and "rural areas"; an increase in administrative expenses for three regional development commissions that were established by the 2008 farm bill; and a provision to remove Canada geese from National Park Service lands near airports to diminish flight safety risks. In addition, S. 3240 repeals the 2008 farm bill provision that made catfish an amenable species subject to inspection by USDA and animal welfare provisions that exempt household pets from some exhibition regulations.

Two provisions included in Title XII of S. 3240 that are unrelated to food and agriculture policy are a prohibition on federal funding for presidential nominating conventions and a requirement for three reports on sequestration under the Budget Control Act of 2011 ( P.L. 112-25 ).

Provisions of the Senate-Passed 2012 Farm Bill (S. 3240) and the House Agriculture Committee-Reported Bill (H.R. 6083), Compared with Current Law