[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2743 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2743

 To improve the financial situation of America's farmers and ranchers.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             August 5, 1999

Mrs. Emerson (for herself, Mr. Thune, Mr. Moran of Kansas, Mr. Hill of 
   Montana, Mr. Pickering, Mr. Watkins, Mr. Shimkus, Mr. Talent, Mr. 
 Hulshof, Mr. Blunt, Mr. John, Mr. Cramer, Mr. Shows, Mr. Skelton, Mr. 
   Hall of Texas, Ms. Danner, Mr. Tanner, and Mr. Lucas of Oklahoma) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
   Agriculture, and in addition to the Committees on the Budget, and 
International Relations, for a period to be subsequently determined by 
the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To improve the financial situation of America's farmers and ranchers.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Farm and Ranch 
Emergency Assistance Act of 1999''.
    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents of this Act is as 
follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Emergency requirement.
        TITLE I--MARKET LOSS ASSISTANCE FOR CONTRACT COMMODITIES

Sec. 101. Market loss assistance for contract commodities
    TITLE II--MARKET LOSS ASSISTANCE FOR SOYBEANS AND OTHER OILSEEDS

Sec. 201. Market loss assistance for soybeans and other oilseeds.
                 TITLE III--REMOVAL OF TRADE SANCTIONS

Sec. 301. Comptroller General report.
Sec. 302. Prohibition on unilateral agricultural or medical sanctions.
Sec. 303. Annual reports by Secretary of Agriculture.
Sec. 304. Actions by Department of Agriculture.
Sec. 305. Definition.
 TITLE IV--TEMPORARY REMOVAL OF LIMIT ON LOAN DEFICIENCY PAYMENTS AND 
                          MARKETING LOAN GAINS

Sec. 401. Temporary removal of limit on authorized amount of marketing 
                            loan gains and loan deficiency payments.
              TITLE V--UPLAND COTTON PRICE COMPETITIVENESS

Sec. 501. Upland cotton price competitiveness.
   TITLE VI--MARKET LOSS ASSISTANCE FOR LIVESTOCK AND DAIRY PRODUCERS

Sec. 601. Assistance to livestock and dairy producers.
         TITLE VII--EMERGENCY CONCESSIONAL SALES AND DONATIONS

Sec. 701. Emergency concessional sales and donations.
                    TITLE VIII--CONSERVATION RESERVE

Sec. 801. Sense of Congress regarding full enrollment of land in the 
                            conservation reserve.
             TITLE IX--EARLY AVAILABILITY OF AMTA PAYMENTS

Sec. 901. Authority for advance payment in full of remaining payments 
                            under production flexibility contracts.
                        TITLE X--CROP INSURANCE

Sec. 1001. Crop insurance premium discount for 2000 crop year.

SEC. 2. EMERGENCY REQUIREMENT.

    Notwithstanding the last sentence of section 252(e) of the Balanced 
Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, amounts made 
available by this Act are designated by the Congress as an emergency 
requirement pursuant to section 252(e) of the Balanced Budget and 
Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985: Provided, That such amounts 
shall be available only to the extent that an official budget request 
that includes designation of the entire amount of the request as an 
emergency requirement as defined in the Balanced Budget and Emergency 
Deficit Control Act of 1985, is transmitted by the President to 
Congress.

        TITLE I--MARKET LOSS ASSISTANCE FOR CONTRACT COMMODITIES

SEC. 101. MARKET LOSS ASSISTANCE FOR CONTRACT COMMODITIES

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Agriculture shall use not more 
than $5,544,453,000 for assistance to owners and producers on a farm 
who are eligible for final payments for fiscal year 1999 under a 
production flexibility contract for the farm under the Agricultural 
Market Transition Act (7 U.S.C. 7201 et seq.) to partially compensate 
the owners and producers for the loss of markets for the 1999 crop of a 
commodity.
    (b) Amount.--The amount of assistance made available to owners and 
producers on a farm under this section shall be proportional to the 
amount of the contract payment received by the owners and producers for 
fiscal year 1999 under a production flexibility contract for the farm 
under the Agricultural Market Transition Act.
    (c) Time for Payment.--The assistance made available under this 
section for an eligible owner or producer shall be made as soon as 
practicable after the date of enactment of this Act.
    (d) Use of Commodity Credit Corporation.--Subject to subsection 
(e), the Secretary shall use the funds, facilities, and authorities of 
the Commodity Credit Corporation to carry out this section.

    TITLE II--MARKET LOSS ASSISTANCE FOR SOYBEANS AND OTHER OILSEEDS

SEC. 201. MARKET LOSS ASSISTANCE FOR SOYBEANS AND OTHER OILSEEDS.

    (a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the 
Secretary of Agriculture shall use not less than $475,000,000 of funds 
of the Commodity Credit Corporation to make payments to producers of 
the 1999 crop of oilseeds that are eligible to obtain a marketing 
assistance loan under section 131 of the Agricultural Market Transition 
Act (7 U.S.C. 7231).
    (b) Computation.--A payment to producers on a farm under this 
section shall be computed by multiplying--
            (1) a payment rate determined by the Secretary; by
            (2) the quantity of oilseeds that the producers on the farm 
        are eligible to place under loan under section 131 of that Act.
    (c) Limitation.--Payments made under this section shall be 
considered to be contract payments for the purposes of section 1001(1) 
of the Food Security Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 1308(1)).

                 TITLE III--REMOVAL OF TRADE SANCTIONS

SEC. 301. COMPTROLLER GENERAL REPORT.

    Within 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Comptroller General shall--
            (1) conduct--
                    (A) a detailed examination of all economic 
                sanctions affecting United States businesses, 
                differentiating between unilateral and multilateral 
                economic sanctions;
                    (B) an assessment of comparable measures undertaken 
                by other countries in each instance;
                    (C) an evaluation of the effectiveness of both 
                unilateral and multilateral economic sanctions in 
                meeting stated policy goals;
                    (D) an assessment on humanitarian conditions within 
                sanctioned countries, evaluating how sanctions have 
                affected particular states;
                    (E) an assessment of the relationship with United 
                States allies as a consequence of unilateral economic 
                sanctions;
                    (F) an examination of the economic impact of 
                sanctions on United States producers and exporters; and
                    (G) an assessment of potential countries that may 
                be sanctioned under existing United States law or 
                executive authority, but which are not now subject to 
                sanctions (whether because of presidentially exercised 
                waivers, or statutes or executive orders not being 
                applied); and
            (2) submit to the Committee on International Relations and 
        the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives 
        and to the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on 
        Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report on 
        the matters addressed in paragraph (1).

SEC. 302. PROHIBITION ON UNILATERAL AGRICULTURAL OR MEDICAL SANCTIONS.

    (a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the 
President shall not restrict or otherwise prohibit any exports 
(including restricted commercial or Federal financing) of food, other 
agricultural products (including fertilizer), medicines, or medical 
supplies or equipment as part of any policy of existing or future 
unilateral economic sanctions imposed against a foreign government.
    (b) National Security Waiver.--The President may waive, for periods 
of not more than 1 year each, the applicability of any sanction under 
subsection (a) with respect to a foreign country or entity if the 
President, with respect to each such waiver--
            (1) determines that the national security so requires; and
            (2) transmits to the Congress that determination, together 
        with a detailed description of the reasons therefor, including 
        an explanation of how the sanction will further the national 
        security.

SEC. 303. ANNUAL REPORTS BY SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE.

    The Secretary of Agriculture shall submit to the Congress, by not 
later than May 1 of each year, a report containing the following:
            (1) The Secretary's assessment of all markets where United 
        States exports of agricultural commodities are limited because 
        of multilateral or unilateral economic sanctions, including 
        specific commodities affected.
            (2) The economic impact on producers of the commodities 
        specified under paragraph (1).
            (3) An assessment of the extent to which displaced United 
        States commodities are being supplied by foreign competitors.
            (4) The expected longer-term consequences of interrupting 
        United States exports.
            (5) Any assistance provided by the Foreign Agricultural 
        Service to offset lost markets due to such sanctions.

SEC. 304. ACTIONS BY DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

    The Secretary of Agriculture shall expand agricultural export 
assistance under United States market development, food assistance, or 
export promotion programs to offset all projected losses of 
agricultural commodity markets from unilateral or multilateral 
sanctions identified under section 303, to the maximum extent permitted 
by law and by the obligations of the United States under the Agreement 
on Agriculture referred to in section 101(d)(2) of the Uruguay Round 
Agreements Act (19 U.S.C. 3511(d)(2)).

SEC. 305. DEFINITION.

    As used in this title, the term ``unilateral economic sanction'' 
means any restriction or condition on economic activity with respect to 
a foreign country or foreign entity that is imposed by the United 
States for reasons of foreign policy or national security, except in a 
case in which the United States imposes the measure pursuant to a 
multilateral regime and the other members of that regime have agreed to 
impose substantially equivalent measures.

 TITLE IV--TEMPORARY REMOVAL OF LIMIT ON LOAN DEFICIENCY PAYMENTS AND 
                          MARKETING LOAN GAINS

SEC. 401. TEMPORARY REMOVAL OF LIMIT ON AUTHORIZED AMOUNT OF MARKETING 
              LOAN GAINS AND LOAN DEFICIENCY PAYMENTS.

    Section 1001(2) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 1308(2)) 
is amended by adding at the end the following new sentence: ``However, 
this limitation shall not apply during the 1999 and 2000 crop years.''.

              TITLE V--UPLAND COTTON PRICE COMPETITIVENESS

SEC. 501. UPLAND COTTON PRICE COMPETITIVENESS.

    (a) In General.--Section 136(a) of the Agricultural Market 
Transition Act (7 U.S.C. 7236(a)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``or cash payments'' and 
        inserting ``or cash payments, at the option of the 
        recipient,'';
            (2) by striking ``3 cents per pound'' each place it appears 
        and inserting ``1.25 cents per pound'';
            (3) in the first sentence of paragraph (3)(A), by striking 
        ``owned by the Commodity Credit Corporation in such manner, and 
        at such price levels, as the Secretary determines will best 
        effectuate the purposes of cotton user marketing certificates'' 
        and inserting ``owned by the Commodity Credit Corporation or 
        pledged to the Commodity Credit Corporation as collateral for a 
        loan in such manner, and at such price levels, as the Secretary 
        determines will best effectuate the purposes of cotton user 
        marketing certificates, including enhancing the competitiveness 
        and marketability of United States cotton''; and
            (4) by striking paragraph (4).
    (b) Ensuring the Availability of Upland Cotton.--Section 136(b) of 
the Agricultural Market Transition Act (7 U.S.C. 7236(b)) is amended--
            (1) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following:
            ``(1) Establishment.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The President shall carry out an 
                import quota program during the period ending July 31, 
                2003, as provided in this subsection.
                    ``(B) Program requirements.--Except as provided in 
                subparagraph (C), whenever the Secretary determines and 
                announces that for any consecutive 4-week period, the 
                Friday through Thursday average price quotation for the 
                lowest-priced United States growth, as quoted for 
                Middling (M) 1\3/32\-inch cotton, delivered C.I.F. 
                Northern Europe, adjusted for the value of any 
                certificate issued under subsection (a), exceeds the 
                Northern Europe price by more than 1.25 cents per 
                pound, there shall immediately be in effect a special 
                import quota.
                    ``(C) Tight domestic supply.--During any month for 
                which the Secretary estimates the season-ending United 
                States upland cotton stocks-to-use ratio, as determined 
                under subparagraph (D), to be below 16 percent, the 
                Secretary, in making the determination under 
                subparagraph (B), shall not adjust the Friday through 
                Thursday average price quotation for the lowest-priced 
                United States growth, as quoted for Middling (M) 1\3/
                32\-inch cotton, delivered C.I.F. Northern Europe, for 
                the value of any certificates issued under subsection 
                (a).
                    ``(D) Season-ending united states stocks-to-use 
                ratio.--For the purposes of making estimates under 
                subparagraph (C), the Secretary shall, on a monthly 
                basis, estimate and report the season-ending United 
                States upland cotton stocks-to-use ratio, excluding 
                projected raw cotton imports but including the quantity 
                of raw cotton that has been imported into the United 
                States during the marketing year.''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(7) Limitation.--The quantity of cotton entered into the 
        United States during any marketing year under the special 
        import quota established under this subsection may not exceed 
        the equivalent of 5 week's consumption of upland cotton by 
        domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate of the 3 
        months immediately preceding the first special import quota 
        established in any marketing year.''.

   TITLE VI--MARKET LOSS ASSISTANCE FOR LIVESTOCK AND DAIRY PRODUCERS

SEC. 601. ASSISTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND DAIRY PRODUCERS.

    The Secretary of Agriculture shall use $325,000,000 of funds of the 
Commodity Credit Corporation to provide assistance to livestock and 
dairy producers in a manner determined by the Secretary.

         TITLE VII--EMERGENCY CONCESSIONAL SALES AND DONATIONS

SEC. 701. EMERGENCY CONCESSIONAL SALES AND DONATIONS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Agriculture shall use 
$950,000,000 of funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation to carry out 
a purchase and donation or concessional sales initiative to promote the 
export of additional quantities of United States agricultural 
commodities using programs established under--
            (1) the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act (15 U.S.C. 
        714 et seq.);
            (2) section 416 of the Agricultural Act of 1949 (7 U.S.C. 
        1431);
            (3) titles I and II of the Agricultural Trade Development 
        and Assistance Act of 1954 (7 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.); and
            (4) the Food for Progress Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 1736o).
    (b) Specialty Crops.--The Secretary shall use not more than 
$50,000,000 of the funds specified in subsection (a) to carry out this 
section to provide assistance to producers of fruits and vegetables.

                    TITLE VIII--CONSERVATION RESERVE

SEC. 801. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING FULL ENROLLMENT OF LAND IN THE 
              CONSERVATION RESERVE.

    It is the sense of the Congress that the Secretary of Agriculture 
should promptly enroll in the conservation reserve the full 36,400,000 
acres authorized under section 1231(d) of the Food Security Act of 1985 
(16 U.S.C. 3831(d)).

             TITLE IX--EARLY AVAILABILITY OF AMTA PAYMENTS

SEC. 901. AUTHORITY FOR ADVANCE PAYMENT IN FULL OF REMAINING PAYMENTS 
              UNDER PRODUCTION FLEXIBILITY CONTRACTS.

    Section 112(d)(3) of the Agricultural Market Transition Act (7 
U.S.C. 7212(d)(3)) is amended--
            (1) in the paragraph heading, by striking ``for fiscal year 
        1999'';
            (2) by striking ``for fiscal year 1999'' and inserting 
        ``for any of fiscal years 1999 through 2002''; and
            (3) by striking ``that fiscal year'' and inserting ``that 
        same fiscal year''.

                        TITLE X--CROP INSURANCE

SEC. 1001. CROP INSURANCE PREMIUM DISCOUNT FOR 2000 CROP YEAR.

    The Secretary of Agriculture shall use $500,000,000 of funds of the 
Commodity Credit Corporation to assist agricultural producers in 
purchasing additional coverage for the 2000 crop year under the Federal 
Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1501 et seq.).
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