[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 17]
[Senate]
[Pages 24833-24834]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



      REAUTHORIZATION OF THE STATE AGRICULTURAL MEDIATION PROGRAM

  Mr. JOHNSON. Mr President, I rise today to applaud Senate adoption of 
legislation I introduced to re-authorize and expand a popular program 
which provides mediation services between agricultural producers and 
the various credit and United States Department of Agriculture agencies 
who family farmers and ranchers work with to maintain their farming and 
ranching operations.
  On June 15, 2000, I introduced S. 2741, legislation to re-authorize, 
expand, and clarify the state agricultural mediation program. Nine 
Senators cosponsored this legislation, including Senators Daschle, 
Roberts, Conrad, Grassley, Kerrey, Craig, Harkin, Dorgan, and Levin. I 
thank these colleagues for their bipartisan support for my bill, which 
was included as part of the Grain Standards Act adopted by the Senate 
earlier this week.
  Extension of this mediation program was adopted with wide bipartisan 
support in the Senate as part of the Grain Standards Act 
Reauthorization. The present state agricultural mediation law was set 
to expire this year, but our reauthorization extends it through 2005.
  This step was significant because family farmers and ranchers in my 
state of South Dakota and all across this country continue to suffer 
from a depressed rural economy and rock-bottom commodity prices. 
Agriculture is the backbone of our economy, and we must not fail to 
provide support to our family farmers and ranchers who are coping with 
these difficult times.
  During the 1980's farm crisis, Congress approved federal funds and 
participation in a state-by-state operated farm mediation program. 
Authorized in the Agricultural Credit Act of 1987, this mediation 
program helps farmers and ranchers, and their creditors, in resolving 
credit disputes in a confidential and non-adversarial setting, which is 
outside the traditional process of litigation, appeals, bankruptcy, and 
foreclosure. The mediators are neutral facilitators and they do not 
make decisions for the disputing parties.
  Each year Congress provides funding for state mediation, and these 
funds are matched with state funds to carry out the mediation program. 
Currently, twenty-five states participate in this mediation program, 
including Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, 
Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New 
Mexico, New York, New Jersey, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South 
Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
  I am pleased we were able to clarify and expand the scope of 
mediation in this reauthorization. With the support and direction of 
the Coalition of Agricultural Mediation Programs (CAMP),

[[Page 24834]]

mediation now clearly can aim to resolve disputes such as wetland 
determinations, grazing issues, and USDA farm program matters, in 
addition to the traditional credit role of mediation. CAMP represents 
the individuals and entities across the nation who administer the state 
agricultural mediation programs, and I thank that organization for 
their leadership on this issue.
  I want to specifically offer my thanks and gratitude to Linda Hodgin, 
Director of Mediation and Ag Counseling, with the South Dakota 
Department of Agriculture. Linda's knowledge, input, and ability to 
work with CAMP enabled Congress to enact the mediation reauthorization 
this year. Under her direction in the last two years, around 500 family 
farmers and ranchers in South Dakota have benefitted from the services 
of mediation and counseling. The mediators and counselors who work with 
Linda in South Dakota are to be commended for their time and commitment 
to family farm agriculture.
  We live in a day and age where nearly every farmer and rancher must 
secure financing from some source in order to take care of production 
costs associated with agricultural production. This mediation program 
allows agricultural producers to settle their credit and farm program 
disputes in a fair way without digging themselves into legal debt. I 
wish to thank my colleagues who supported this important initiative.

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