108 HR 4580 IH: American Seasonal and Perishable Crop Support Act U.S. House of Representatives 2021-07-20 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
I117th CONGRESS1st SessionH. R. 4580IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESJuly 20, 2021Mr. Ruiz (for himself and Mr. Austin Scott of Georgia) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on AgricultureA BILLTo amend the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 to provide recovery payments to seasonal and perishable crop growers who experienced low prices caused by imports, and for other purposes.
1.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the American Seasonal and Perishable Crop Support Act.
2.
Seasonal and perishable insurance programs
The Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 (Public Law 108–465) is amended by adding at the end the following: <enum>V</enum><header>Seasonal and Perishable Insurance Programs</header><section id="HFCAB1F5669E34F3BAC3ACCF119228C12"><enum>501.</enum><header>Seasonal and perishable crop loss program</header><subsection id="H58CB8AC11B9D476690176B4A7FE80ADD"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Seasonal and perishable crop loss</header><paragraph id="H36FBC2EAE7884EF097240BD7CF250E57"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text>Beginning with marketing year 2022, with respect to a producer of a seasonal and perishable crop in geographic region described in paragraph (2), the Secretary shall make crop loss payments in accordance with this section for a marketing year if the Secretary determines that—</text><subparagraph id="HA805EB81B50947929B042EFFF66BD8DC"><enum>(A)</enum><text>the effective price for the seasonal and perishable crop for such marketing year is less than the reference price for such crop; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="H3488BF2CD0C945B9A26C8AC70243D94D" commented="no"><enum>(B)</enum><text>the crop loss described in subparagraph (A) is caused by imports of the seasonal and perishable crop. </text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="H1D54B82D5A6D45E2A357FFBE0347E422"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Geographic coverage</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">A geographic region described in this paragraph is a geographic region for which at least 50 percent of the producers that produce at least one seasonal and perishable crops make a one-time election to participate in the seasonal perishable crop loss payment program under this section with respect to a marketing year. </text></paragraph><paragraph id="H5449A6FDF1AA4CA0BA46C306FB731707"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Election</header><text>For each marketing year, the Secretary shall allow producers of seasonal and perishable crops to make a one-time election to participate in the seasonal and perishable crop loss program under this section with respect to such marketing year.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="H13F85E857EF746379C28082DC6733D8F" commented="no"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Effective price</header><text>The effective price for a seasonal and perishable crop for a marketing year shall be the national average market price for the seasonal and perishable crop. </text></subsection><subsection id="HCFBBF5F775644CF89075E521399D3045"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Payment rate</header><text>A payment under subsection (a) shall be equal to the difference between—</text><paragraph id="HE3D47DB499474A2CA34617EC6A8B8D40"><enum>(1)</enum><text>the reference price for the covered seasonal and perishable crop; and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="H3CF849F0E2F84AE5B32B0407B082D6FD"><enum>(2)</enum><text>the effective price determined under subsection (b) for the seasonal and perishable crop.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="HF7520F2E9DDC4F2E9BADA41D1304F1DD"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Payment amount</header><text>If seasonal perishable crop loss program payments are required to be provided under this section for the last seasonal marketing year for a covered seasonal and perishable crop, the amount of the seasonal perishable crop loss program payment to be paid to the producers on a farm for the seasonal marketing year shall be equal to the product obtained by multiplying—</text><paragraph id="HDBE151A060C24419942ADF6C6D4193CB"><enum>(1)</enum><text>the payment rate for the covered seasonal and perishable crop under subsection (c); and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="H5778F3132F5B4B8AB745CD2EE09E5A86"><enum>(2)</enum><text>the previous three-year average production for the seasonal and perishable crop.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="H3E1927F360174B9F803769F4C3F3E170"><enum>(e)</enum><header>Eligibility</header><text>No producer may be eligible for a payment under this section unless such producer—</text><paragraph id="H00A7ECACA8CF45AB8EE3F4C009945BA8"><enum>(1)</enum><text>has an average adjusted gross income of less than $900,000 for the 3 tax years preceding the most recent tax year; and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="H4FA07291A5B142A58E655F04353CAC72"><enum>(2)</enum><text>derives at least 75 percent of their adjusted gross income from farming, ranching, or forestry.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="H73204DB22740439BBC0A290201835621"><enum>(f)</enum><header>Definitions</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">In this section:</text><paragraph id="H187CF519D3C4408FB429F82120B9656F"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Marketing season</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The term <term>marketing season</term> means, with respect to a seasonal and perishable crop, the season—</text><subparagraph id="HB4D13B1FAC424B728ECD274CB4F2F0E7"><enum>(A)</enum><text>in which such crop is normally marketed; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="HA1EAFF4D6DC84D15B29C3ECE8869008C"><enum>(B)</enum><text>that concludes on the date that is not later than four weeks after the last day on which such crops are harvested during a marketing year.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="H2E08F844CCB14B098DA29C7555B27389"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Marketing year</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The term <term>marketing year</term> means, with respect to a seasonal and perishable crop, the period beginning on the date the seasonal and perishable crop is first harvested and ending on the last day on which such crop is marketed.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="H713DC6B1C791487E93F50FA20684E413" commented="no"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Reference price</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The term <term>reference price</term> means regional average market price received by producers during the marketing season for a seasonal and perishable crop for the period of the most recent three marketing years.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="HFA084DD39CF44B6AB7CF0F46AF0F6AC3"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Seasonal and perishable crop</header><text>The term <term>seasonal and perishable crop</term> means a crop that is—</text><subparagraph id="H392AC11826984CAC95799A2D43AF3E01"><enum>(A)</enum><text>a fresh or chilled specialty crop;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="H740D6E5724BB4A83A469EC138A3AB85A"><enum>(B)</enum><text>marketed in raw form for consumption without further processing; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="H34AFEFFFCFA94351862D4EF91D28CEA4"><enum>(C)</enum><text>normally marketed not later than 4 weeks after harvesting. </text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="H1008E22F3E4A4EFD8C94C25595FCEF7A"><enum>(5)</enum><header>Secretary</header><text>The term <term>Secretary</term> means the Secretary of Agriculture.</text></paragraph></subsection></section>.