Title 7 › Chapter 50— AGRICULTURAL CREDIT › Subchapter IV— ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS › § 2008h
The Secretary cannot make a direct operating loan under subchapter II to anyone who is behind on any loan made or guaranteed under this law. In general, the Secretary also cannot make or guarantee new loans for people who have had debt forgiven on loans under this law. The Secretary must not guarantee loans for anyone who had debt forgiveness after April 4, 1996, or who had debt forgiven more than 3 times on or before April 4, 1996. There are limited exceptions. The Secretary can make a direct or guaranteed farm operating loan for yearly farm or ranch costs if the borrower was restructured with a write-down under section 2001, is current on payments under a confirmed reorganization plan in chapters 11, 12, or 13 of title 11, or had no more than one debt forgiveness caused mainly by a major disaster or emergency declared by the President on or after April 4, 1996 under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. The Secretary can make an emergency loan under section 1961 if the borrower had at most one debt forgiveness on or before April 4, 1996 and none after that date. A write-down or restructuring under section 2001 does not count as debt forgiveness for that rule. The Secretary also cannot forgive a direct loan if the borrower already had debt forgiven on another direct loan.
Full Legal Text
Agriculture — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Legislative History
Reference
Citation
7 U.S.C. § 2008h
Title 7 — Agriculture
Last Updated
Apr 3, 2026
Release point: 119-73not60