§7331 — Title 7 Agriculture | U.S. Code

Summary

Allows the Secretary of Agriculture to run a pilot program until December 31, 2002 that tests whether using futures and options can give farmers of one or more covered commodities real protection from swings in price, yield, and income. The pilot is meant to be an alternative to other USDA programs. For each commodity, the Secretary may run the pilot in up to 300 counties, with no more than 25 counties in any one State, and no county may be in the pilot for more than 3 of the 1996–2002 years. The Secretary may enroll producers who meet program rules, volunteer, farm in a selected county, and are eligible for other farm supports. Each participant must get a contract that explains the rules and a notice that participation is voluntary and that no federal agency guarantees they will be better or worse off by joining. Trades must happen on official commodity futures and options markets. Participants must keep and give any paperwork the program requires. The Commodity Credit Corporation will fund the pilot, with spending aimed to be budget-neutral and limited to $9,000,000 for fiscal year 2001, $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2002, and $2,000,000 for fiscal year 2003.

Title 7, §7331

Agriculture — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Until December 31, 2002, the Secretary of Agriculture may conduct a pilot program for 1 or more agricultural commodities supported under this chapter to ascertain whether futures and options contracts can provide producers with reasonable protection from the financial risks of fluctuations in price, yield, and income inherent in the production and marketing of the commodities. The pilot program shall be an alternative to other related programs of the Department of Agriculture.

(b)For each agricultural commodity included in the pilot program, the Secretary may operate the pilot program in not more than 300 counties, except that not more than 25 of the counties may be located in any 1 State. The pilot program for a commodity shall not be operated in any county for more than 3 of the 1996 through 2002 calendar years.

(c)In operating the pilot program, the Secretary may enter into contract with a producer who—

(1)is eligible for a production flexibility contract, a marketing assistance loan, or other assistance under this chapter;

(2)volunteers to participate in the pilot program during any calendar year in which a county in which the farm of the producer is located is included in the pilot program;

(3)operates a farm located in a county selected for the pilot program; and

(4)meets such other eligibility requirements as the Secretary may establish.

(d)The Secretary shall provide notice to each producer participating in the pilot program that—

(1)the participation of the producer is voluntary; and

(2)neither the United States, the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation, the Department of Agriculture, nor any other Federal agency is authorized to guarantee that participants in the pilot program will be better or worse off financially as a result of participation in the pilot program than the producer would have been if the producer had not participated in the pilot program.

(e)The Secretary shall set forth in each contract under the pilot program the terms and conditions for participation in the pilot program and the notice required by subsection (d).

(f)Trades for futures and options contracts under the pilot program shall be carried out on commodity futures and options markets designated as contract markets under the Commodity Exchange Act (7 U.S.C. 1 et seq.).

(g)A producer participating in the pilot program shall compile, maintain, and submit (or authorize the compilation, maintenance, and submission) of such documentation as the regulations governing the pilot program require.

(h)The Secretary shall fund and operate the pilot program through the Commodity Credit Corporation, except that the amount of Commodity Credit Corporation funds used to carry out this section shall not exceed, to the maximum extent practicable, $9,000,000 for fiscal year 2001, $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2002, and $2,000,000 for fiscal year 2003. To the maximum extent practicable, the Secretary shall operate the pilot program in a budget neutral manner.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

For definition of “this chapter”, referred to in subsecs. (a) and (c)(1), see note set out under section 7201 of this title. The Commodity Exchange Act, referred to in subsec. (f), is act Sept. 21, 1922, ch. 369, 42 Stat. 998, which is classified generally to chapter 1 (§ 1 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 1 of this title and Tables. Codification Section is comprised of section 191 of Pub. L. 104–127. Subsec. (i) of section 191 of Pub. L. 104–127 repealed provisions set out as a note under section 1421 of this title.

Amendments

2000—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 106–224, § 134(1), substituted “300 counties, except that not more than 25” for “100 counties, except that not more than 6” in first sentence. Subsec. (c)(2). Pub. L. 106–224, § 134(2), inserted before semicolon at end “during any calendar year in which a county in which the farm of the producer is located is included in the pilot program”. Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 106–224, § 134(3), inserted before period at end of first sentence “, except that the amount of Commodity Credit Corporation funds used to carry out this section shall not exceed, to the maximum extent practicable, $9,000,000 for fiscal year 2001, $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2002, and $2,000,000 for fiscal year 2003”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2000 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 106–224 effective Oct. 1, 2000, see section 171(b)(1)(A) of Pub. L. 106–224, set out as a note under section 1501 of this title.

§7331 Options pilot program