[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3538 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3538

 To amend the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 to suspend a 
 prohibition on payments to certain farms with limited base acres for 
the 2008 and 2009 crop years, to extend the signup for direct payments 
  and counter-cyclical payments for the 2008 crop year, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

           September 23 (legislative day, September 17), 2008

  Mr. Grassley (for himself, Mr. Harkin, Mr. Chambliss, Mr. Kohl, Mr. 
Casey, Mr. Feingold, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Craig, Mr. Brown, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. 
   Crapo, Mr. Coleman, Ms. Collins, Mrs. Clinton, Mrs. Dole, and Mr. 
    Baucus) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
   referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 to suspend a 
 prohibition on payments to certain farms with limited base acres for 
the 2008 and 2009 crop years, to extend the signup for direct payments 
  and counter-cyclical payments for the 2008 crop year, and for other 
                               purposes.

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

SECTION 1. TREATMENT OF FARMS WITH LIMITED BASE ACRES.

    (a) Suspension of Prohibition.--
            (1) In general.--Section 1101(d) of the Food, Conservation, 
        and Energy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 8711(d)) is amended by adding 
        at the end the following:
            ``(4) Suspension of prohibition.--Paragraphs (1) through 
        (3) shall not apply during the 2008 and 2009 crop years.''.
            (2) Peanuts.--Section 1302(d) of the Food, Conservation, 
        and Energy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 8752(d)) is amended by adding 
        at the end the following:
            ``(4) Suspension of prohibition.--Paragraphs (1) through 
        (3) shall not apply during the 2008 and 2009 crop years.''.
    (b) Extension of 2008 Signup for Direct Payments and Counter-
Cyclical Payments.--
            (1) In general.--Section 1106 of the Food, Conservation, 
        and Energy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 8716) is amended by adding at 
        the end the following:
    ``(f) Extension of 2008 Signup.--
            ``(1) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
        law, the Secretary shall extend the 2008 crop year deadline for 
        the signup for benefits under this subtitle by producers on a 
        farm with base acres of 10 acres or less until December 31, 
        2008.
            ``(2) Penalties.--The Secretary shall ensure that no 
        penalty with respect to benefits under this subtitle is 
        assessed against producers on a farm described in paragraph (1) 
        for failure to submit reports under this section or timely 
        comply with other program requirements as a result of 
        compliance with the extended signup deadline under that 
        paragraph.''.
            (2) Peanuts.--Section 1305 of the Food, Conservation, and 
        Energy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 8755) is amended by adding at the 
        end the following:
    ``(f) Extension of 2008 Signup.--
            ``(1) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
        law, the Secretary shall extend the 2008 crop year deadline for 
        the signup for benefits under this subtitle by producers on a 
        farm with base acres of 10 acres or less until December 31, 
        2008.
            ``(2) Penalties.--The Secretary shall ensure that no 
        penalty with respect to benefits under this subtitle is 
        assessed against producers on a farm described in paragraph (1) 
        for failure to submit reports under this section or timely 
        comply with other program requirements as a result of 
        compliance with the extended signup deadline under that 
        paragraph.''.
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