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Title 7 — AgricultureRelease 119-73not60

§9096 Signature Authority

Title 7 › Chapter 115— AGRICULTURAL COMMODITY POLICY AND PROGRAMS › Subchapter V— ADMINISTRATION › § 9096

Last updated Apr 3, 2026|Official source

Summary

If the Secretary approves a document used under this title and title II, the Secretary cannot later call that document invalid just because the person who signed it lacked authority. The only exception is when the signer knowingly and intentionally lied about having authority or forged the signature or proof of authority. The Secretary can still ask the proper person to confirm a document. If benefits are denied because someone didn’t confirm, that denial cannot be applied retroactively to third-party producers who were not the ones who made the false claim, as long as those producers honestly relied on the Secretary’s prior approval and followed the program’s rules.

Full Legal Text

Title 7, §9096

Agriculture — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In carrying out this title and title II and amendments made by those titles, if the Secretary approves a document, the Secretary shall not subsequently determine the document is inadequate or invalid because of the lack of authority of any person signing the document on behalf of the applicant or any other individual, entity, general partnership, or joint venture, or the documents relied upon were determined inadequate or invalid, unless the person signing the program document knowingly and willfully falsified the evidence of signature authority or a signature.
(b)(1)Nothing in this section prohibits the Secretary from asking a proper party to affirm any document that otherwise would be considered approved under subsection (a).
(2)A denial of benefits based on a lack of affirmation under paragraph (1) shall not be retroactive with respect to third-party producers who were not the subject of the erroneous representation of authority, if the third-party producers—
(A)relied on the prior approval by the Secretary of the documents in good faith; and
(B)substantively complied with all program requirements.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This title and title II, referred to in subsec. (a), are titles I and II of Pub. L. 113–79, Feb. 7, 2014, 128 Stat. 658, 713. Title I of the Act is classified principally to this chapter. Title II of the Act enacted, amended, and repealed numerous sections and provisions set out as notes in Title 16, Conservation, and Title 43, Public Lands. For complete classification of titles I and II to the Code, see Tables.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

7 U.S.C. § 9096

Title 7 — Agriculture

Last Updated

Apr 3, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60