[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Pages 9364-9365]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           TEXT OF AMENDMENTS

  SA 2459. Mr. CASEY submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the bill S. 3240, to reauthorize agricultural programs through 
2017, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as 
follows:

       At the end of title IV, add the following:

     SEC. 4208. ENCOURAGING LOCALLY AND REGIONALLY PRODUCED FOOD.

       (a) Commodity Purchase Streamlining.--The Secretary may 
     allow a school food authority with low annual commodity 
     entitlement values, as determined by the Secretary, to 
     substitute for the allotment of the school food authority for 
     commodities commonly referred to as ``USDA Foods'' if--
       (1) the option is requested by the eligible school food 
     authority;
       (2) the Secretary determines that the option will reduce 
     Federal and State administrative costs; and
       (3) the option will provide the eligible school food 
     authority with greater flexibility to purchase locally and 
     regionally produced foods.
       (b) Farm-to-school Demonstration Projects.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish not less 
     than 10 farm-to-school demonstration programs under which 
     school food authorities, agricultural producers producing for 
     local and regional markets, and other farm-to-school 
     stakeholders collaborate with the Agricultural Marketing 
     Service to obtain food for school meals from local 
     agricultural producers rather than through other agricultural 
     and food programs of the Secretary.
       (2) Requirements.--
       (A) In general.--A demonstration program under this 
     subsection shall, to the maximum extent practicable--
       (i) facilitate and increase the purchase of unprocessed and 
     minimally processed locally and regionally produced 
     agricultural commodities and products to be served in school 
     meal programs;
       (ii) test methods to improve procurement, transportation, 
     and meal preparation processes;
       (iii) assess whether administrative costs can be saved 
     through increased school authority flexibility to source 
     locally and regionally produced agricultural commodities and 
     foods; and

[[Page 9365]]

       (iv) undertake rigorous evaluation and share information 
     about results, including cost savings, with the Department of 
     Agriculture, school food authorities, agricultural producers 
     producing for local and regional markets, and the general 
     public.
       (B) Plans.--The Secretary shall require demonstration 
     project participants to provide plans that detail compliance 
     with this subsection.
       (3) Duration.--The Secretary shall determine the 
     appropriate period of time for each demonstration program.
       (4) Coordination.--The Secretary shall coordinate among 
     relevant agencies of the Department of Agriculture and 
     nongovernmental organizations with appropriate expertise to 
     facilitate the provision of training and technical assistance 
     necessary to the successful implementation of demonstration 
     programs under this subsection.
       (5) Diversity and balance.--In establishing the 
     demonstration programs under this subsection, the Secretary 
     shall, to the maximum extent practicable, ensure--
       (A) geographical diversity;
       (B) that at least \1/2\ of the demonstration programs are 
     completed in collaboration with school food authorities with 
     relatively small annual commodity entitlements, as determined 
     by the Secretary;
       (C) at least \1/2\ of demonstration programs are completed 
     in rural or tribal communities; and
       (D) equitable treatment of school food authorities with a 
     high percentage of students participating in the free or 
     reduced price lunch program under the Richard B. Russell 
     National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.).
                                 ______
                                 
  SA 2460. Mrs. FEINSTEIN submitted an amendment intended to be 
proposed by her to the bill S. 3240, to reauthorize agricultural 
programs through 2017, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie 
on the table; as follows:

       In section 11001, after subsection (b) insert the 
     following:
       (c) Supplemental, Weather Index-based Insurance.--Section 
     508(c) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1508(c)) 
     is amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(11) Supplemental, weather index-based insurance.--
       ``(A) In general.--The Corporation may consider and approve 
     applications, consistent with procedures for products 
     submitted under subsection (h), submitted by private 
     companies to provide supplemental, weather index-based 
     insurance products that are not reinsured under this subtitle 
     to producers as an alternative to the coverage provided under 
     this section to determine whether the products can provide 
     enhanced coverage for producers than is otherwise available 
     under this section.
       ``(B) Payment of portion of premium by corporation.--
       ``(i) In general.--Subject to subparagraph (F), if the 
     Corporation determines that supplemental, weather index-based 
     insurance products offered by private companies meet the 
     conditions described in subparagraph (A), the Corporation may 
     pay a portion of the premium for a producer to purchase a 
     product that is not reinsured under this subtitle from a 
     private company for an equivalent level of coverage under 
     this section.
       ``(ii) Administration.--Any premium assistance under clause 
     (i)--

       ``(I) shall be determined by the Corporation; and
       ``(II) may be based on, as determined by the Corporation--

       ``(aa) a percentage of premium;
       ``(bb) a percentage of expected loss determined pursuant to 
     a reasonable actuarial methodology; or
       ``(cc) a fixed dollar amount per acre.
       ``(C) Eligible providers.--Before providing premium 
     assistance to producers to purchase supplemental, index-based 
     coverage from a private company under this paragraph, the 
     Corporation shall verify that the private company--
       ``(i) has adequate experience developing and managing 
     similar index-based products for crop producers (including 
     adequate resources, experience, and assets) or sufficient 
     reinsurance, to meet the obligations of the private company 
     under this paragraph;
       ``(ii) has adequate experience to sell and administer 
     index-based or similar products;
       ``(iii) possesses a sufficient insurance credit rating from 
     an appropriate credit rating bureau; and
       ``(iv) has approval from each State in which the company 
     intends to make the supplemental insurance products of the 
     company available.
       ``(D) Oversight.--The Corporation shall develop and publish 
     procedures to administer a supplemental, index-based 
     insurance option for producers under this paragraph that--
       ``(i) require each applicable private company to report 
     sales, acreage and claim data, and any other data the 
     Corporation determines to be appropriate, to allow the 
     Corporation to evaluate product pricing and performance;
       ``(ii) allow each participating private company exclusive 
     rights, ownership of intellectual property, and protection of 
     confidential information with respect to the insurance 
     offered under this paragraph; and
       ``(iii) contain such other requirements as the Corporation 
     determines necessary to ensure that--

       ``(I) the interests of producers are protected; and
       ``(II) the program operates in an actuarially sound manner.

       ``(E) Selection limitation.--A producer shall be allowed to 
     select supplemental coverage annually and may not select both 
     weather index-based coverage under this paragraph and any 
     other supplemental coverage offered under other provisions of 
     this section.
       ``(F) Baseline savings.--
       ``(i) In general.--The Corporation may not offer premium 
     assistance for producers to purchase private company weather 
     index-based supplemental coverage under this paragraph unless 
     the Corporation determines that offering private company 
     coverage will result in savings against baseline spending 
     estimates for the supplemental coverage option provided by 
     the Office of Management and Budget.
       ``(ii) Administrative expenses.--In addition to any other 
     available funds, the Corporation shall use savings derived 
     from offering supplemental coverage from private companies to 
     cover administrative costs associated with evaluating and 
     approving private company coverage under this subsection.''.

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