Title 7AgricultureRelease 119-73

§1942 Purposes of loans

Title 7 › Chapter CHAPTER 50— - AGRICULTURAL CREDIT › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER II— - OPERATING LOANS › § 1942

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Makes direct loans (including microloans) and loan guarantees available to farmers and ranchers for common farm needs. Loans can pay to reorganize a farm to make it more profitable, buy animals or equipment, buy seed, feed, fertilizer and other supplies, cover operating costs (including cash rent), finance land or water projects, pay loan closing fees, help meet certain workplace or safety standards when needed to avoid big economic harm, and fund training programs. Loans can also refinance debt but a borrower may have refinanced under this program no more than 4 times before, and refinancing is limited to certain disaster-related or non‑USDA debts. Guarantees cover many of the same uses. Borrowers must have, or agree to get, hazard insurance on property bought with a loan once the Secretary sets the required insurance level (the Secretary had to set that level within 180 days after April 4, 1996). The Secretary may let part of a loan be put into an unsupervised bank account for the borrower’s basic family needs. That reserve can be no more than the smallest of 10% of the loan, $5,000, or enough to cover 3 months of basic family needs. The Secretary must also create ways to value local and regional food crops and let local producers build price histories to help with lending.

Full Legal Text

Title 7, §1942

Agriculture — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)A direct loan (including a microloan, as defined by the Secretary) may be made under this subchapter only for—
(1)paying the costs incident to reorganizing a farm or ranch for more profitable operation;
(2)purchasing livestock, poultry, or farm or ranch equipment;
(3)purchasing feed, seed, fertilizer, insecticide, or farm or ranch supplies, or to meet other essential farm or ranch operating expenses, including cash rent;
(4)financing land or water development, use, or conservation;
(5)paying loan closing costs;
(6)assisting a farmer or rancher in changing the equipment, facilities, or methods of operation of a farm or ranch to comply with a standard promulgated under section 655 of title 29 or a standard adopted by a State under a plan approved under section 667 of title 29, if the Secretary determines that without assistance under this paragraph the farmer or rancher is likely to suffer substantial economic injury in complying with the standard;
(7)training a limited-resource borrower receiving a loan under section 1934 of this title in maintaining records of farming and ranching operations;
(8)training a borrower under section 2006a of this title;
(9)refinancing the indebtedness of a borrower, if the borrower—
(A)has refinanced a loan under this subchapter not more than 4 times previously; and
(B)(i)is a direct loan borrower under this chapter at the time of the refinancing and has suffered a qualifying loss because of a natural disaster declared by the Secretary under this chapter or a major disaster or emergency designated by the President under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.); or
(ii)is refinancing a debt obtained from a creditor other than the Secretary; or
(10)providing other farm, ranch, or home needs, including family subsistence.
(b)A loan may be guaranteed under this subchapter only for—
(1)paying the costs incident to reorganizing a farm or ranch for more profitable operation;
(2)purchasing livestock, poultry, or farm or ranch equipment;
(3)purchasing feed, seed, fertilizer, insecticide, or farm or ranch supplies, or to meet other essential farm or ranch operating expenses, including cash rent;
(4)financing land or water development, use, or conservation;
(5)refinancing indebtedness;
(6)paying loan closing costs;
(7)assisting a farmer or rancher in changing the equipment, facilities, or methods of operation of a farm or ranch to comply with a standard promulgated under section 655 of title 29 or a standard adopted by a State under a plan approved under section 667 of title 29, if the Secretary determines that without assistance under this paragraph the farmer or rancher is likely to suffer substantial economic injury due to compliance with the standard;
(8)training a borrower under section 2006a of this title; or
(9)providing other farm, ranch, or home needs, including family subsistence.
(c)(1)After the Secretary makes the determination required by paragraph (2), the Secretary may not make a loan to a farmer or rancher under this subchapter unless the farmer or rancher has, or agrees to obtain, hazard insurance on the property to be acquired with the loan.
(2)Not later than 180 days after April 4, 1996, the Secretary shall determine the appropriate level of insurance to be required by paragraph (1).
(d)(1)Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the Secretary may reserve a portion of any loan made under this subchapter to be placed in an unsupervised bank account that may be used at the discretion of the borrower for the basic family needs of the borrower and the immediate family of the borrower.
(2)The size of the reserve shall not exceed the least of—
(A)10 percent of the loan;
(B)$5,000; or
(C)the amount needed to provide for the basic family needs of the borrower and the borrower’s immediate family for 3 calendar months.
(e)(1)The Secretary shall develop ways to determine unit prices (or other appropriate forms of valuation) for crops and other agricultural products, the end use of which is intended to be in locally or regionally produced agricultural food products, to facilitate lending to local and regional food producers.
(2)The Secretary shall implement a mechanism for local and regional food producers to establish price history for the crops and other agricultural products produced by local and regional food producers.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This chapter, referred to in subsecs. (a)(9)(B)(i) and (d)(1), was in the original “this title”, meaning title III of Pub. L. 87–128, Aug. 8, 1961, 75 Stat. 307, known as the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of title III to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 1921 of this title and Tables. The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, referred to in subsec. (a)(9)(B)(i), is Pub. L. 93–288, May 22, 1974, 88 Stat. 143, which is classified principally to chapter 68 (§ 5121 et seq.) of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 5121 of Title 42 and Tables.

Amendments

2014—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 113–79, § 5106(b)(2), inserted “(including a microloan, as defined by the Secretary)” after “A direct loan” in introductory provisions. Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 113–79, § 5105, added subsec. (e). 1996—Pub. L. 104–127 amended section generally, substituting present provisions for provisions outlining purposes of loans made under this subchapter, authorizing loans to rural area residents to operate small business enterprises, authorizing loans for pollution abatement and control projects in rural areas and providing for limitations on such loans, and authorizing creation, from loan funds, of nonsupervised bank accounts to be used at discretion of borrower for necessary family living expenses. 1992—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 102–552, § 516(f)(2), repealed amendment by Pub. L. 102–237, § 501(b). See 1991 Amendment note below. Pub. L. 102–552, § 516(f)(1)(A), made technical correction to directory language of Pub. L. 101–624, § 1818(b). See 1990 Amendment note below. 1991—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 102–237, § 501(b), which directed the substitution of “systems (for purposes of this subchapter, the term ‘solar energy’ means energy derived from sources (other than fossil fuels) and technologies included in the Federal Nonnuclear Energy Research and Development Act of 1974) (42 U.S.C. 5901 et seq.), (12) training in maintaining records of farming and ranching operations for limited resource borrowers receiving loans under section 1934 of this title, and (13) borrower training under section 2006a of this title.” for “ ‘systems.’ and all that follows”, could not be executed because “systems.” does not appear in subsec. (a) was repealed by Pub. L. 102–552, § 516(f)(2). See

Construction

of 1991 Amendment note below. 1990—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 101–624, § 1818(b), as amended by Pub. L. 102–552, § 516(f)(1)(A), added cl. (13). 1985—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 99–198, § 1306, added cl. (12). Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 99–198, § 1307, added subsec. (e). 1980—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 96–438 added cl. (11). 1978—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 95–334, struck out “individual” after “title, to”. 1977—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 95–113 inserted parenthetical provision extending the section to include farm equipment which utilizes solar energy and inserted definition of “solar energy”. 1972—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 92–419, §§ 120(b), 121(1), (2), substituted “section 1941(a) for “section 1941”, designated existing provisions as subsec. (a), and added cl. (10). Subsecs. (b) to (d). Pub. L. 92–419, § 121(3), added subsecs. (b) to (d). 1968—Pub. L. 90–488 struck out from cl. (4) the concluding phrase, “including recreational uses and facilities”, added cls. (5) and (6), and redesignated former cls. (5) to (7) as (7) to (9), respectively. 1962—Pub. L. 87–703 authorized, in cl. (4), loans to be made for recreational uses and facilities.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1996 Amendment Pub. L. 104–127, title VI, § 612(b), Apr. 4, 1996, 110 Stat. 1089, provided that: “section 312(c)(1) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act [7 U.S.C. 1942(c)(1)] shall not apply until the Secretary of Agriculture makes the determination required by section 312(c)(2) of the Act.” [The Secretary’s determination relating to hazard insurance under this provision was contained in interim rules published Mar. 3, 1997, and effective Mar. 24, 1997, see 62 F.R. 9351.] Amendment by Pub. L. 104–127 effective 90 days after Apr. 4, 1996, see section 663(b) of Pub. L. 104–127, set out as a note under section 1922 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1992 Amendment Pub. L. 102–552, title V, § 516(f)(1)(B), Oct. 28, 1992, 106 Stat. 4137, provided that: “The amendment made by subparagraph (A) [amending this section] shall take effect as if included in the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 [Pub. L. 101–624] at the time such Act became law.”

Effective Date

of 1977 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 95–113 effective Oct. 1, 1977, see section 1901 of Pub. L. 95–113, set out as a note under section 1307 of this title.

Transfer of Functions

Powers, duties, and assets of agencies, offices, and other entities within Department of Agriculture relating to rural development functions transferred to Rural Development Administration by section 2302(b) of Pub. L. 101–624.

Construction

of 1991 Amendment Pub. L. 102–552, title V, § 516(f)(2), Oct. 28, 1992, 106 Stat. 4138, provided that: “Subsection (b) of section 501 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act

Amendments

of 1991 (Public Law 102–237; 105 Stat. 1866) [amending this section] is repealed. The Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1921 et seq.) shall be applied and administered as if such subsection had never become law.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

7 U.S.C. § 1942

Title 7Agriculture

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73