[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1523 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1523

To provide a safety net for agricultural producers through improvement 
of the marketing assistance loan program, expansion of land enrollment 
 opportunities under the conservation reserve program, and maintenance 
   of opportunities for foreign trade in United States agricultural 
                              commodities.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             August 5, 1999

 Mrs. Lincoln introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
   referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To provide a safety net for agricultural producers through improvement 
of the marketing assistance loan program, expansion of land enrollment 
 opportunities under the conservation reserve program, and maintenance 
   of opportunities for foreign trade in United States agricultural 
                              commodities.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Help Our Producers Equity Act of 
1999''.

SEC. 2. LOAN RATES FOR MARKETING ASSISTANCE LOANS.

    (a) In General.--Section 132 of the Agricultural Market Transition 
Act (7 U.S.C. 7232) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(g) Limitations on Loan Rates.--
            ``(1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2)--
                    ``(A) the limitations imposed under this section on 
                the loan rate for a marketing assistance loan for a 
                loan commodity (referred to in this subsection as a 
                `covered commodity') shall not apply with respect to 
                the 1999 through 2002 crops of the covered commodity; 
                and
                    ``(B) the loan rate for a marketing assistance loan 
                under section 131 for the 1999 through 2002 crops of 
                the covered commodity shall be not less than the higher 
                of--
                            ``(i) 85 percent of the simple average 
                        price received by producers of the covered 
                        commodity, as determined by the Secretary, 
                        during the marketing years for the immediately 
                        preceding 5 crops of the covered commodity, 
                        excluding the year in which the average price 
                        was the highest and the year in which the 
                        average price was the lowest in the period;
                            ``(ii) if the world market price for the 
                        crop of at least 3 loan commodities is less 
                        than the loan rate established for the crop of 
                        the respective loan commodities under 
                        subsections (a) through (f), 95 percent of the 
                        simple average price received by producers of 
                        the covered commodity, as determined by the 
                        Secretary, during the marketing years for the 
                        immediately preceding 5 crops of the covered 
                        commodity, excluding the year in which the 
                        average price was the highest and the year in 
                        which the average price was the lowest in the 
                        period; or
                            ``(iii) the loan rate established for the 
                        1999 crop of the covered commodity under this 
                        section.
            ``(2) Rice.--With respect to the 1999 through 2002 crops of 
        rice, the Secretary may establish a loan rate in excess of the 
        rate specified in subsection (e).
            ``(3) Retroactive application.--In the case of the 1999 
        crop of each loan commodity, the Secretary shall adjust 
        marketing assistance loans and loan deficiency payments made 
        before the date of enactment of this subsection to reflect the 
        requirements of paragraphs (1) and (2).''.
    (b) Limitation on 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 striking ``during any crop year may not exceed 
$75,000'' and insert ``during--
                    ``(A) each of the 1996 through 1998 crop years may 
                not exceed $75,000; and
                    ``(B) each of the 1999 through 2002 crop years may 
                not exceed $150,000.''.

SEC. 3. EXTENSION OF MARKETING LOAN TERM.

    Section 133 of the Agricultural Market Transition Act (7 U.S.C. 
7233) is amended by striking subsection (c) and inserting the 
following:
    ``(c) Extensions Authorized.--The Secretary may extend the term of 
a marketing assistance loan for any loan commodity for a period not to 
exceed 6 months.''.

SEC. 4. MAXIMUM ENROLLMENT IN CONSIDERATION RESERVE PROGRAM.

    Section 1231(d) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 
3831(d)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``The'' and inserting the following:
            ``(1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), 
        the''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(2) Applicability.--Subject to the availability of 
        appropriations, paragraph (1) shall not apply to each of the 
        1999 through 2002 calendar years.''.

SEC. 5. WETLANDS RESERVE PROGRAM.

    (a) Annual Enrollment Authority.--Section 1237(b) of the Food 
Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3837(b)) is amended by striking 
paragraph (1) and inserting the following:
            ``(1) Annual enrollment authority.--For calendar years 2000 
        through 2005, the Secretary may enroll up to 250,000 acres 
        annually in the wetlands reserve program.''.
    (b) Extension of Program.--Section 1237(c) of the Food Security Act 
of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3837(c)) is amended by striking ``2002'' and 
inserting ``2005''.
    (c) Eligible Lands.--Section 1237(d) of the Food Security Act of 
1985 (16 U.S.C. 3837(d)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (2), by striking ``or'' at the end;
            (2) in paragraph (3), by striking the period at the end and 
        inserting ``; or''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(4)(A) suitable for the establishment of wetland 
        functions and values;
            ``(B) land that would contribute substantially to the 
        habitat objectives of the North American Waterfowl Management 
        Plan signed by the Minister of the Environment for Canada and 
        the Secretary of the Interior of the United States in May 1986;
            ``(C) land that has not historically been wetlands.''.
    (d) Cooperative Agreements.--Section 1237F of the Food Security Act 
of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3837f) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsection (b) as subsection (c); and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (a) the following:
    ``(b) Cooperative Agreements.--Notwithstanding chapter 63 of title 
31, United States Code, the Secretary may enter into a cooperative 
agreement for the acquisition of goods or services, including personal 
services, with a State, a political subdivision or agency of a State, a 
public or private agency, an organization, or any other person, without 
regard to any requirements for competition, if the Secretary determines 
that--
            ``(1) the objectives of the agreement will serve a mutual 
        interest of the parties to the agreement in wetland 
        conservation;
            ``(2) all parties will contribute resources to the 
        accomplishment of the objectives; and
            ``(3) the agreement will further the purposes of this 
        subchapter.''.

SEC. 6. REVIEW OF FEDERAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS THAT PROHIBIT THE SALE 
              OR PROVISION OF AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES TO FOREIGN 
              COUNTRIES.

    (a) Finding.--Congress finds that any Federal law (including a 
regulation) that prohibits or otherwise restricts the sale or provision 
of an agricultural commodity to a foreign country should be maintained 
only if the prohibition or other restriction under the law or 
regulation is essential to the national security interests of the 
United States.
    (b) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Agricultural commodity.--The term ``agricultural 
        commodity'' has the meaning given the term in section 102 of 
        the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 (7 U.S.C. 5602).
            (2) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
        ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
                    (A) the Committee on International Relations and 
                the Committee on Armed Services of the House of 
                Representatives; and
                    (B) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the 
                Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate.
            (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Agriculture.
    (c) Study.--
            (1) In general.--The President shall conduct an annual 
        study of each Federal law (including a regulation) that 
        prohibits or otherwise restricts the sale or provision of an 
        agricultural commodity to a foreign country to determine--
                    (A) whether the prohibition or other restriction 
                under the law is essential to the national security 
                interests of the United States, including a description 
                of the risk to the national security interests posed by 
                the removal of the prohibition or other restriction; 
                and
                    (B) the effects of the prohibition or other 
                restriction under the law on United States agriculture, 
                including an assessment of--
                            (i) the extent to all countries subject to 
                        the prohibition constitute a market that 
                        accounted for, in the calendar year preceding 
                        the imposition of the prohibition or other 
                        restriction, more than 3 percent of all export 
                        sales from the United States of an agricultural 
                        commodity;
                            (ii) the likely effect on incomes of 
                        producers of the commodity involved;
                            (iii) the extent to which the prohibition 
                        or other restriction would permit foreign 
                        suppliers to replace United States suppliers; 
                        and
                            (iv) the likely effect of the prohibition 
                        or other restriction on the reputation of 
                        United States agricultural producers as 
                        reliable suppliers of specific agricultural 
                        commodities and of agricultural commodities in 
                        general.
            (2) Secretary.--The President, acting through the 
        Secretary, shall conduct the assessment described in paragraph 
        (1)(B).
    (d) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of 
this Act, and annually thereafter, the President shall prepare and 
submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report containing 
the results of the study under subsection (c).
                                 <all>