[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1342 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1342

  To provide for a one-year enrollment in the conservation reserve of 
    land covered by expiring conservation reserve program contracts.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 16, 1997

 Mr. Smith of Oregon introduced the following bill; which was referred 
                    to the Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To provide for a one-year enrollment in the conservation reserve of 
    land covered by expiring conservation reserve program contracts.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. ONE-YEAR ENROLLMENT OF LAND COVERED BY EXPIRING CONSERVATION 
              RESERVE CONTRACTS.

    (a) Eligible Lands.--This section applies with respect to land on a 
farm covered by a conservation reserve program contract expiring during 
fiscal year 1997 if--
            (1) the farm had a crop acreage base for wheat, oats, or 
        barley at the time the conservation reserve program contract 
        was executed or had a fall-seeded crop during the 1996 crop 
        year;
            (2) the land covered by the expiring conservation reserve 
        program contract is the subject of a bid to reenroll the land 
        in the conservation reserve; and
            (3) the land satisfies eligibility criteria in effect 
        during fiscal year 1997 for the enrollment of the land in the 
        conservation reserve.
    (b) One-Year Enrollment Authorized.--The owner of land described in 
subsection (a) (or the operator of a farm containing such land, with 
the consent of the owner) may enroll the land covered by the expiring 
conservation reserve program contract in the conservation reserve for a 
one-year period beginning on October 1, 1997, if--
            (1) the Secretary of Agriculture does not notify the owner 
        or operator, not later than May 2, 1997, that the Secretary 
        accepts or rejects the bid for reenrollment of the land in the 
        conservation reserve; and
            (2) the owner or operator notifies the Secretary, not later 
        than May 16, 1997, that the owner or operator desires to enroll 
        the land in the conservation reserve for one year under this 
        subsection.
    (c) Rental Rate.--The rental rate for a one-year conservation 
reserve program contract under subsection (b) shall be equal to the 
lesser of--
            (1) the maximum county rental rate established for the 
        county in which the land covered by the contract is located; or
            (2) the amount of the bid referred to in subsection (a)(2) 
        that was submitted by the owner or operator to reenroll the 
        land in the conservation reserve.
    (d) Effect of Subsequent Long-Term Enrollment.--If, before a one-
year conservation reserve program contract entered into under 
subsection (b) takes effect on October 1, 1997, the Secretary accepts 
the bid of the owner or operator of the land covered by the contract to 
enroll the land in the conservation reserve under section 1231 of the 
Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3831), the one-year contract shall 
be void. The existence of the one-year contract shall not affect the 
duration or terms of the new conservation reserve program contract 
executed by the owner or operator and the Secretary under such section.
    (e) Limitation on Expenditures.--Notwithstanding the authorization 
of one-year conservation reserve program contracts under subsection 
(b), the total amount of funds expended during fiscal year 1998 for all 
conservation reserve program contracts, including such one-year 
contracts, may not exceed the amount of funds that would have been 
expended during that fiscal year for conservation reserve program 
contracts in the absence of this section.
    (f) Conservation Reserve Program Contract Defined.--In this 
section, the term ``conservation reserve program contract'' means a 
contract authorized 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.) for 
the enrollment of farm acreage in the conservation reserve established 
under such subchapter.
                                 <all>