Title 7, AgricultureRelease 119-110
§9012 Base Acres
Title 7 › CHAPTER 115 — AGRICULTURAL COMMODITY POLICY AND PROGRAMS › SUBCHAPTER I — COMMODITY POLICY › § 9012
Summary
Gives farm owners a one-time choice, starting after February 7, 2014, to either keep their existing base acres (including any “generic” base acres, which stay by default) or to reallocate their non-generic base acres among crops. If an owner does not make this choice or misses the deadline, the owner is treated as having kept the base acres. Reallocation, if chosen, must follow a formula based on the 4-year planting averages for 2009–2012 (including acres producers were prevented from planting by drought, flood, or similar events). Reallocation cannot change the farm’s total base acres as of September 30, 2013, and generic base acres cannot be moved. The USDA must also adjust base acres when land enters or leaves conservation programs or when new oilseeds are designated. If base acres plus certain enrolled conservation acres would be more than the farm’s actual cropland, the USDA will reduce base acres but must let the owner pick which acres to cut, with an exception for approved double-cropping. Owners may permanently reduce base acres anytime. If a farm was all grass or pasture from January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2017, its base acres and payment yields are kept, but no payments are made on those base acres for 2019–2031, and those producers cannot change the election referenced in section 9015(h). Starting as soon as practicable after July 4, 2025, the USDA will offer up to 30,000,000 additional base acres to eligible farms for the 2026 crop year. Owners can opt out within 90 days of the notice. Eligibility and the number of extra acres use 5-year averages for 2019–2023, include prevented plantings, and add the lesser of 15 percent of the farm or the 5-year average of noncovered crops. Farms with zero covered crop acres in 2019–2023 are not eligible. The extra acres are allocated among crops on the farm in proportion to 2019–2023 plantings, cannot exceed the farm’s total acres, and will be cut back pro rata if offers would total more than 30,000,000 acres. Payment yields for these new base acres begin in 2026 and use the farm’s yield, or the county average, or a yield set under section 9013(c). If the owner changed since 2019–2023, the USDA will use the prior owner’s planting history.
Full Legal Text
Title 7, §9012
Agriculture, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)Retention or 1-time reallocation of base acres
(1)Election required
(A)Notice of election opportunity
As soon as practicable after February 7, 2014, the Secretary shall provide notice to the owners of a farm regarding their opportunity to make an election, in the manner provided in this subsection— (i)
(ii)in lieu of retaining base acres, to reallocate base acres, other than any generic base acres, as provided in paragraph (3).
(B)Content of notice
The notice under subparagraph (A) shall include the following:
(i)Information that the opportunity of an owner to make the election is being provided only once.
(ii)Information regarding the manner in which the owner must make the election and the manner of notifying the Secretary of the election.
(iii)Information regarding the deadline before which the owner must notify the Secretary of the election to be in effect beginning with the 2014 crop year.
(C)Effect of failure to make election
If the owner of a farm fails to make the election under this subsection, or fails to timely notify the Secretary of the election as required by subparagraph (B)(iii), the owner shall be deemed to have elected to retain base acres, including generic base acres, as provided in paragraph (2).
(2)Retention of base acres
(A)Election to retain (B) Treatment of generic base acres
For the purpose of applying this subchapter to a covered commodity, the Secretary shall give an owner of a farm an opportunity to elect to retain all of the base acres for each covered commodity on the farm.
(3)Reallocation of base acres
(A)Election to reallocate
For the purpose of applying this subchapter to covered commodities, the Secretary shall give an owner of a farm an opportunity to elect to reallocate all of the base acres for covered commodities on the farm, as in effect on September 30, 2013, among those covered commodities planted on the farm at any time during the 2009 through 2012 crop years.
(B)Reallocation formula
The reallocation of base acres among covered commodities on a farm shall be in proportion to the ratio of— (i)
(ii)the 4-year average of—
(I)the acreage planted on the farm to all covered commodities for harvest, grazing, haying, silage, or other similar purposes for such crop years; and
(II)any acreage on the farm that the producers were prevented from planting during such crop years to covered commodities because of drought, flood, or other natural disaster, or other condition beyond the control of the producers, as determined by the Secretary.
(C)Treatment of generic base acres
Generic base acres are retained and may not be reallocated under this paragraph.
(D)Inclusion of all 4 years in average
For the purpose of determining a 4-year acreage average under subparagraph (B) for a farm, the Secretary shall not exclude any crop year in which a covered commodity was not planted.
(E)Treatment of multiple planting or prevented planting
For the purpose of determining under subparagraph (B) the acreage on a farm that producers planted or were prevented from planting during the 2009 through 2012 crop years to covered commodities, if the acreage that was planted or prevented from being planted was devoted to another covered commodity in the same crop year (other than a covered commodity produced under an established practice of double cropping), the owner may elect the commodity to be used for that crop year in determining the 4-year average, but may not include both the initial commodity and the subsequent commodity.
(F)Limitation
The reallocation of base acres among covered commodities on a farm under this paragraph may not result in a total number of base acres (including generic base acres) for the farm in excess of the number of base acres in effect for the farm on September 30, 2013.
(4)Application of election to all covered commodities
The election made under this subsection, or deemed to be made under paragraph (1)(C), with respect to a farm shall apply to all of the covered commodities on the farm.
(b)Adjustment of base acres
(1)In general
Notwithstanding the election made under subsection (a), the Secretary shall provide for an adjustment, as appropriate, in the base acres for covered commodities for a farm and any generic base acres for the farm whenever any of the following circumstances occur:
(A)A conservation reserve contract entered into under section 1231 of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3831) with respect to the farm expires or is voluntarily terminated.
(B)Cropland is released from coverage under a conservation reserve contract by the Secretary.
(C)The producer has eligible oilseed acreage as the result of the Secretary designating additional oilseeds, which shall be determined in the same manner as eligible oilseed acreage under section 8711(a)(1)(D) of this title.
(2)Special conservation reserve acreage payment rules
For the crop year in which a base acres adjustment under subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (1) is first made, the owner of the farm shall elect to receive price loss coverage or agriculture risk coverage with respect to the acreage added to the farm under this subsection or a prorated payment under the conservation reserve contract, but not both.
(c)Prevention of excess base acres
(1)Required reduction
Notwithstanding the election made under subsection (a), if the sum of the base acres for a farm, including generic base acres, and the acreage described in paragraph (2) exceeds the actual cropland acreage of the farm, the Secretary shall reduce the base acres for 1 or more covered commodities or generic base acres for the farm so that the sum of the base acres, including generic base acres, and the acreage described in paragraph (2) does not exceed the actual cropland acreage of the farm.
(2)Other acreage
For purposes of paragraph (1), the Secretary shall include the following:
(A)Any acreage on the farm enrolled in—
(i)the conservation reserve program established under subchapter B of chapter 1 of subtitle D of title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3831 et seq.); or
(ii)a wetland reserve easement under section 1265C of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3865c).
(B)Any other acreage on the farm enrolled in a Federal conservation program for which payments are made in exchange for not producing an agricultural commodity on the acreage.
(C)If the Secretary designates additional oilseeds, any eligible oilseed acreage, which shall be determined in the same manner as eligible oilseed acreage under subsection (b)(1)(C).
(3)Selection of acres
The Secretary shall give the owner of the farm the opportunity to select the base acres for a covered commodity or generic base acres for the farm against which the reduction required by paragraph (1) will be made.
(4)Exception for double-cropped acreage
In applying paragraph (1), the Secretary shall make an exception in the case of double cropping, as determined by the Secretary.
(d)Reduction in base acres
(1)Reduction at option of owner
(A)In general
The owner of a farm may reduce, at any time, the base acres for any covered commodity or generic base acres for the farm.
(B)Effect of reduction
A reduction under subparagraph (A) shall be permanent and made in a manner prescribed by the Secretary.
(2)Required action by Secretary
(A)In general
The Secretary shall proportionately reduce base acres, including any generic base acres, on a farm for land that has been subdivided and developed for multiple residential units or other nonfarming uses if the size of the tracts and the density of the subdivision is such that the land is unlikely to return to the previous agricultural use, unless the producers on the farm demonstrate that the land— (i)
(ii)is likely to be returned to the previous agricultural use.
(B)Requirement
The Secretary shall establish procedures to identify land described in subparagraph (A).
(3)Treatment of base acres on farms entirely planted to grass or pasture
(A)In general
In the case of a farm on which all of the cropland was planted to grass or pasture (including cropland that was idle or fallow), as determined by the Secretary, during the period beginning on January 1, 2009, and ending on December 31, 2017, the Secretary shall maintain all base acres and payment yields for the covered commodities on the farm, except that no payment shall be made with respect to those base acres under section 9016 or 9017 of this title for the 2019 through 2031 crop years.
(B)Ineligibility
The producers on a farm for which all of the base acres are maintained under subparagraph (A) shall be ineligible for the option to change the election applicable to the producers on the farm under section 9015(h) of this title.
(4)Prohibition on reconstitution of farm
The Secretary shall ensure that producers on a farm do not reconstitute the farm to void or change the treatment of base acres under this section.
(e)Additional base acres
(1)In general
As soon as practicable after July 4, 2025, and notwithstanding subsection (a), the Secretary shall provide notice to owners of eligible farms pursuant to paragraph (3) and allocate to those eligible farms a total of not more than an additional 30,000,000 base acres in the manner provided in this subsection. An owner of a farm that is eligible to receive an allocation of base acres may elect to not receive that allocation by notifying the Secretary not later than 90 days after receipt of the notice provided by the Secretary under this paragraph.
(2)Content of notice
The notice under paragraph (1) shall include the following:
(A)Information that the allocation is occurring.
(B)Information regarding the eligibility of the farm for an allocation of base acres under paragraph (3).
(C)Information regarding how an owner may appeal a determination of ineligibility for an allocation of base acres under paragraph (3) through an appeals process established by the Secretary.
(3)Eligibility
(A)In general
Subject to subparagraph (D), effective beginning with the 2026 crop year, a farm is eligible to receive an allocation of base acres if, with respect to the farm, the amount described in subparagraph (B) exceeds the amount described in subparagraph (C).
(B)5-year average sum
The amount described in this subparagraph, with respect to a farm, is the sum of— (i)
(ii)the lesser of—
(I)15 percent of the total acres on the farm; and
(II)the 5-year average of—
(aa)the acreage planted on the farm to eligible noncovered commodities for harvest, grazing, haying, silage, or other similar purposes for the 2019 through 2023 crop years; and
(bb)any acreage on the farm that the producers were prevented from planting during the 2019 through 2023 crop years to eligible noncovered commodities because of drought, flood, or other natural disaster, or other condition beyond the control of the producers, as determined by the Secretary.
(C)Total number of base acres for covered commodities
The amount described in this subparagraph, with respect to a farm, is the total number of base acres for covered commodities on the farm (excluding unassigned crop base), as in effect on September 30, 2024.
(D)Effect of no recent plantings of covered commodities
In the case of a farm for which the amount determined under clause (i) of subparagraph (B) is equal to zero, that farm shall be ineligible to receive an allocation of base acres under this subsection.
(E)Acreage planted on the farm to eligible noncovered commodities defined
In this paragraph, the term “acreage planted on the farm to eligible noncovered commodities” means acreage planted on a farm to commodities other than covered commodities, trees, bushes, vines, grass, or pasture (including cropland that was idle or fallow), as determined by the Secretary.
(4)Number of base acres
Subject to paragraphs (3) and (8), the number of base acres allocated to an eligible farm shall—
(A)be equal to the difference obtained by subtracting the amount determined under subparagraph (C) of paragraph (3) from the amount determined under subparagraph (B) of that paragraph; and
(B)include unassigned crop base.
(5)Allocation of acres
(A)Allocation
The Secretary shall allocate the number of base acres under paragraph (4) among those covered commodities planted on the farm at any time during the 2019 through 2023 crop years.
(B)Allocation formula
The allocation of additional base acres for covered commodities shall be in proportion to the ratio of— (i)
(ii)the 5-year average determined under paragraph (3)(B)(i).
(C)Inclusion of all 5 years in average
For the purpose of determining a 5-year acreage average under subparagraph (B) for a farm, the Secretary shall not exclude any crop year in which a covered commodity was not planted.
(D)Treatment of multiple planting or prevented planting
For the purpose of determining under subparagraph (B) the acreage on a farm that producers planted or were prevented from planting during the 2019 through 2023 crop years to covered commodities, if the acreage that was planted or prevented from being planted was devoted to another covered commodity in the same crop year (other than a covered commodity produced under an established practice of double cropping), the owner may elect the covered commodity to be used for that crop year in determining the 5-year average, but may not include both the initial covered commodity and the subsequent covered commodity.
(E)Limitation
The allocation of additional base acres among covered commodities on a farm under this paragraph may not result in a total number of base acres for the farm in excess of the total number of acres on the farm.
(6)Reduction by the Secretary
In carrying out this subsection, if the total number of eligible acres allocated to base acres across all farms in the United States under this subsection would exceed 30,000,000 acres, the Secretary shall apply an across-the-board, pro-rata reduction to the number of eligible acres to ensure the number of allocated base acres under this subsection is equal to 30,000,000 acres.
(7)Payment yield
Beginning with crop year 2026, for the purpose of making price loss coverage payments under section 9016 of this title, the Secretary shall establish payment yields to base acres allocated under this subsection equal to—
(A)the payment yield established on the farm for the applicable covered commodity; and
(B)if no such payment yield for the applicable covered commodity exists, a payment yield—
(i)equal to the average payment yield for the covered commodity for the county in which the farm is situated; or
(ii)determined pursuant to section 9013(c) of this title.
(8)Treatment of new owners
In the case of a farm for which the owner on July 4, 2025, was not the owner for the 2019 through 2023 crop years, the Secretary shall use the planting history of the prior owner or owners of that farm for purposes of determining—
(A)eligibility under paragraph (3);
(B)eligible acres under paragraph (4); and
(C)the allocation of acres under paragraph (5).
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
References in Text
The Food Security Act of 1985, referred to in subsec. (c)(2)(A)(i), is Pub. L. 99–198, Dec. 23, 1985, 99 Stat. 1354. Subchapter B of chapter 1 of subtitle D of title XII of the Act is classified generally to subpart B (§ 3831 et seq.) of part I of subchapter IV of chapter 58 of Title 16, Conservation. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see
Short Title
of 1985 Amendment note set out under section 1281 of this title and Tables. Codification Provisions of law applicable to a covered commodity for the 2024 crop year pursuant to title I of Pub. L. 113–79 applicable to the 2025 crop year for that covered commodity, see section 4101(c)(1) of Pub. L. 118–158, set out in an Extension of Agricultural Programs note under section 9001 of this title. Provisions of law applicable to a covered commodity for the 2023 crop year pursuant to title I of Pub. L. 113–79 applicable to the 2024 crop year for that covered commodity, see section 102(c)(1) of Pub. L. 118–22, set out in an Extension of Agricultural Programs note under section 9001 of this title.
Amendments
2025—Subsec. (d)(3)(A). Pub. L. 119–21, § 10302(1), substituted “2031” for “2023”. Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 119–21, § 10302(2), added subsec. (e). 2018—Subsec. (c)(2)(A). Pub. L. 115–334, § 1102(a), added subpar. (A) and struck out former subpar. (A) which read as follows: “Any acreage on the farm enrolled in the conservation reserve program or wetlands reserve program (or successor programs) under chapter 1 of subtitle D of title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3830 et seq.).” Subsec. (d)(3), (4). Pub. L. 115–334, § 1102(b), added pars. (3) and (4).
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
7 U.S.C. § 9012
Title 7, Agriculture
Last Updated
Sep 22, 2026
Release point: 119-110