Title 7AgricultureRelease 119-73

§518b Contract payments for producers of quota tobacco

Title 7 › Chapter CHAPTER 21C— - TOBACCO REFORM › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER I— - TRANSITIONAL PAYMENTS TO TOBACCO QUOTA HOLDERS AND PRODUCERS OF TOBACCO › § 518b

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary must offer a contract to every farmer who held a tobacco marketing quota. The contract pays the farmer money in return for ending the tobacco marketing quotas and related price supports. Farmers must apply in the form and time the Secretary requires to prove they were quota holders. If more than one person claims the same quota, the payment for that quota will be split fairly based on each person’s share of the production risk and other factors the Secretary finds relevant. Base quota numbers are set two ways: for flue-cured types 11–14 and burley type 31, the base equals the farm’s effective marketing quota for the 2002 marketing year (ignoring disaster leases and transfers); for other kinds, the base equals the farm’s 2002 basic acreage allotment times the average yield per acre for the 2001–2003 crop years. The total payment for each kind of tobacco equals $3.00 per pound times the producer’s base quota, but actual payments are spread over ten years. From fiscal year 2005 through 2014 the Secretary will pay 1/10 of the total each year. The $3.00 rate is reduced if the producer had quota in fewer years of 2002–2004: full rate for all three years, 2/3 if in two years, and 1/3 if in one year. If a qualifying producer dies and is survived by a spouse or dependents, the payment rights go to the spouse or, if none, to the estate.

Full Legal Text

Title 7, §518b

Agriculture — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary shall offer to enter into a contract with each producer of quota tobacco under which the producer of quota tobacco shall be entitled to receive payments under this section in exchange for the termination of tobacco marketing quotas and related price support under the amendments made by section 611 and 612.11 See References in Text note below. The contract payments shall constitute full and fair consideration for the termination of such tobacco marketing quotas and related price support.
(b)(1)To be eligible to enter into a contract to receive a contract payment under this section, a person shall submit to the Secretary an application containing such information as the Secretary may require to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Secretary that the person is a producer of quota tobacco. The application shall be submitted within such time, in such form, and in such manner as the Secretary may require.
(2)If, on the basis of the applications submitted under paragraph (1) or other information, the Secretary determines that two or more persons are a producer of the same quota tobacco, the Secretary shall provide for an equitable distribution among the persons of the contract payments made under this section with respect to that quota tobacco, based on relative share of such persons in the risk of producing the quota tobacco and such other factors as the Secretary considers appropriate.
(c)(1)The Secretary shall establish a base quota level applicable to each producer of quota tobacco, as determined under this subsection.
(2)In the case of Flue-cured tobacco (types 11, 12, 13, and 14) and Burley tobacco (type 31), the base quota level for each producer of quota tobacco shall be equal to the effective tobacco marketing quota (irrespective of disaster lease and transfers) under part I of subtitle B of title III of the Agriculture 22 So in original. Probably should be “Agricultural”. Adjustment Act of 1938 [7 U.S.C. 1311 et seq.] for the 2002 marketing year for quota tobacco produced on the farm.
(3)In the case of each kind of tobacco (other than tobacco covered by paragraph (2)), for the purpose of calculating a contract payment to a producer of quota tobacco, the base quota level for the producer of quota tobacco shall be the quantity obtained by multiplying—
(A)the basic tobacco farm acreage allotment for the 2002 marketing year established by the Secretary for quota tobacco produced on the farm; by
(B)the average annual yield, per acre, of quota tobacco produced on the farm for the period covering the 2001, 2002, and 2003 crop years.
(d)(1)Subject to subsection (b)(2), the total amount of contract payments to which an eligible producer of quota tobacco is entitled under this section, with respect to a kind of tobacco, shall be equal to the product obtained by multiplying—
(A)subject to paragraph (2), $3.00 per pound; by
(B)the base quota level of the producer of quota tobacco determined under subsection (c) with respect to that kind of tobacco.
(2)During each of fiscal years 2005 through 2014, the Secretary shall make a contract payment under this section to each eligible producer of tobacco, with respect to a kind of tobacco, in an amount equal to ⅒ of the amount determined under paragraph (1) for the producer for that kind of tobacco.
(3)The rate for payments to a producer of quota tobacco under paragraph (1)(A) shall be equal to—
(A)in the case of a producer of quota tobacco that produced quota tobacco marketed, or considered planted, under a marketing quota in all three of the 2002, 2003, or 2004 tobacco marketing years, the rate prescribed under paragraph (1)(A);
(B)in the case of a producer of quota tobacco that produced quota tobacco marketed, or considered planted, under a marketing quota in only two of those tobacco marketing years, ⅔ of the rate prescribed under paragraph (1)(A);
(C)in the case of a producer of quota tobacco that produced quota tobacco marketed, or considered planted, under a marketing quota in only one of those tobacco marketing years, ⅓ of the rate prescribed under paragraph (1)(A).
(e)If a producer of quota tobacco who is entitled to contract payments under this section dies and is survived by a spouse or one or more dependents, the right to receive the contract payments shall transfer to the surviving spouse or, if there is no surviving spouse, to the estate of the producer.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

section 611 and 612, referred to in subsec. (a), are section 611 and 612 of Pub. L. 108–357, which amended section 609, 1282, 1301, 1303, 1361, 1371, 1373, 1375, 1378, 1379, 1428, 1433c–1, and 1441 of this title and section 714c of Title 15, Commerce and Trade, repealed section 511r, 515, 515a to 515k, 625, 1311 to 1314, 1314–1, 1314b, 1314b–1, 1314b–2, 1314c to 1314j, 1315, 1316, 1445, 1445–1, and 1445–2 of this title, and repealed provisions set out as a note under section 1314c of this title. Part I of subtitle B of title III of the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938, referred to in subsec. (c)(2), was classified to subpart I (§ 1311 et seq.) of part B of subchapter II of chapter 35 of this title prior to repeal by Pub. L. 108–357, title VI, § 611(a), Oct. 22, 2004, 118 Stat. 1522. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 1281 of this title and Tables.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section applicable to the 2005 and subsequent crops of tobacco, see section 643 of Pub. L. 108–357, set out as a note under section 518 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

7 U.S.C. § 518b

Title 7Agriculture

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73