Title 7, AgricultureRelease 119-110

§2008h Loan and Loan Servicing Limitations

Title 7 › CHAPTER 50 — AGRICULTURAL CREDIT › SUBCHAPTER IV — ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS › § 2008h

Last updated Sep 23, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary must not give a direct operating loan to anyone who is behind on any loan made or guaranteed under this program. The Secretary also must not make a loan to a borrower who has ever received debt forgiveness on a loan from this program. The Secretary may not guarantee a loan to a borrower who got debt forgiveness after April 4, 1996, or who got debt forgiveness more than 3 times on or before April 4, 1996. There are a few exceptions. The Secretary may make a direct or guaranteed operating loan to someone who was restructured with a write-down under section 2001, who is current on payments under a confirmed bankruptcy reorganization plan (chapters 11, 12, or 13), or who got debt forgiveness once because of a major disaster declared on or after April 4, 1996. Emergency loans under section 1961 can be made to borrowers who had no more than one forgiveness on or before April 4, 1996 and none after that date. A borrower restructured under section 2001 is not treated as having received debt forgiveness. Finally, the Secretary may not give debt forgiveness on a direct loan to a borrower who already had debt forgiveness on another direct loan.

Full Legal Text

Title 7, §2008h

Agriculture, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Delinquent borrowers prohibited from obtaining direct operating loans
The Secretary may not make a direct operating loan under subchapter II to a borrower who is delinquent on any loan made or guaranteed under this chapter.
(b)Prohibition of loans for borrowers that have received debt forgiveness
(1)Prohibitions
Except as provided in paragraph (2)—
(A)the Secretary may not make a loan under this chapter to a borrower that has received debt forgiveness on a loan made or guaranteed under this chapter; and
(B)the Secretary may not guarantee a loan under this chapter to a borrower that has received—
(i)debt forgiveness after April 4, 1996, on a loan made or guaranteed under this chapter; or
(ii)received debt forgiveness on more than 3 occasions on or before April 4, 1996.
(2)Exceptions
(A)In general
The Secretary may make a direct or guaranteed farm operating loan for paying annual farm or ranch operating expenses of a borrower who—
(i)was restructured with a write-down under section 2001 of this title;
(ii)is current on payments under a confirmed reorganization plan under chapters 11, 12, or 13 of title 11; or
(iii)received debt forgiveness on not more than 1 occasion resulting directly and primarily from a major disaster or emergency designated by the President on or after April 4, 1996, under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.).
(B)Emergency loans
(i)In general
The Secretary may make an emergency loan under section 1961 of this title to a borrower that—
(I)on or before April 4, 1996, received not more than 1 debt forgiveness on a loan made or guaranteed under this chapter; and
(II)after April 4, 1996, has not received debt forgiveness on a loan made or guaranteed under this chapter.
(ii)Restructured loans
For purposes of clause (i), a borrower who was restructured with a write-down or restructuring under section 2001 of this title shall not be considered to have received debt forgiveness on a loan made or guaranteed under this chapter.
(c)No more than 1 debt forgiveness for borrower on direct loan
The Secretary may not provide to a borrower debt forgiveness on a direct loan made under this chapter if the borrower has received debt forgiveness on another direct loan made under this chapter.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This chapter, referred to in text, 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. (b)(2)(A)(iii), 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

2018—Subsec. (b)(2)(B). Pub. L. 115–334 designated existing provisions as cl. (i) and inserted heading, redesignated former cls. (i) and (ii) as subcls. (I) and (II), respectively, of cl. (i), and added cl. (ii). 2002—Subsec. (b)(2)(A)(iii). Pub. L. 107–171 added cl. (iii). 1998—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 105–277 added subsec. (b) and struck out heading and text of former subsec. (b). Text read as follows: “(1) In general.—Except as provided in paragraph (2), the Secretary may not make or guarantee a loan under this chapter to a borrower who received debt forgiveness on a loan made or guaranteed under this chapter. “(2) Exception.—The Secretary may make a direct or guaranteed farm operating loan for paying annual farm or ranch operating expenses of a borrower who was restructured with a write-down under section 2001 of this title.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

7 U.S.C. § 2008h

Title 7, Agriculture

Last Updated

Sep 23, 2026

Release point: 119-110