{ "id": "R42759", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "number": "R42759", "active": false, "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "versions": [ { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 425545, "date": "2013-10-21", "retrieved": "2016-04-06T23:15:38.888525", "title": "Farm Safety Net Provisions in a 2013 Farm Bill: S. 954 and H.R. 2642", "summary": "The farm commodity provisions of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, as amended (P.L. 110-246, the 2008 farm bill) expire with the 2013 crop year. Consequently, the 113th Congress has been considering an omnibus farm bill that would establish the direction of agricultural policy for the next five years. On June 10, 2013, the Senate approved its version of the farm bill, S. 954, the Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2013. The House approved a farm bill (H.R. 2642) without a nutrition title on July 11, 2013, and a nutrition title (H.R. 3102) on September 19, 2013. The House adopted a resolution (H.Res. 361) on September 28 that combined the texts of H.R. 2642 and H.R. 3102 into one bill (H.R. 2642) for purposes of resolving differences with the Senate. Conference on the two measures is pending.\nAmong the many provisions, both bills would reshape the structure of farm commodity support, retroactively reauthorize several disaster programs, and expand coverage under the federal crop insurance program. These three areas of federal support for farmers are often collectively called the \u201cfarm safety net.\u201d Commodity programs under the original 2008 farm bill cover only crops harvested in 2008 through 2012, and were extended for an additional crop year in the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (P.L. 112-240, the fiscal cliff bill). Unlike farm commodity programs, the federal crop insurance program, which provides subsidized insurance policies for producers, is permanently authorized under the Federal Crop Insurance Act of 1980. Five disaster assistance programs under the 2008 farm bill expired on September 30, 2011, and under the farm bill extension, Congress provided authority to appropriate funds (but no actual funding) for three livestock programs and a tree assistance program. \nUnder both S. 954 and H.R. 2642, farm support for traditional program crops is restructured by eliminating direct payments. Direct payments\u2014made to producers and landowners based on historical production and fixed payment rates for corn, wheat, soybeans, cotton, rice, peanuts, and other \u201ccovered\u201d crops\u2014have accounted for most farm program spending in recent years. As under current law, both bills authorize farm programs (with new program names) that would make payments when crop prices (or revenue) fall below a reference price (or historical average revenue). Authority is continued for marketing assistance loans, which provide additional low-price protection at \u201cloan rates\u201d specified in current law (with an adjustment made to cotton). The Senate bill covers only crop years 2014-2018, and it suspends permanent price support authority under the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938 and Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1949 until program authority in S. 954 expires in 2018. In contrast, the House bill covers crop year 2014 and each succeeding crop year (i.e., no program expiration date) and repeals permanent law. \nIn both bills, approximately three-fourths of the 10-year, $46 billion-$47 billion in savings (as estimated by the Congressional Budget Office) associated with the proposed elimination of current farm programs would be used to offset the cost of revising farm programs (Title I), enhancing crop insurance (Title XI), and retroactively reauthorizing four disaster programs (beginning FY2012). The two bills provide programs for covered crops, except cotton, which would have its own program (a crop insurance product called Stacked Income Protection Plan or STAX). Proponents of farm programs and federal crop insurance are attempting to address the issue of \u201cshallow losses\u201d\u2014crop losses not covered currently by crop insurance\u2014as well as provide disaster assistance for livestock producers. Critics contend that the proposals contain overly generous farm and crop insurance subsidies and shift additional commodity market risk to the federal government.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R42759", "sha1": "a1b9363e5d60f02063a948065a8f6e1bb82e6e19", "filename": "files/20131021_R42759_a1b9363e5d60f02063a948065a8f6e1bb82e6e19.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R42759", "sha1": "c361d77dd068379c733bb3df0acdc0f11b35d5e0", "filename": "files/20131021_R42759_c361d77dd068379c733bb3df0acdc0f11b35d5e0.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc819730/", "id": "R42759_2013Jul24", "date": "2013-07-24", "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26", "title": "Farm Safety Net Provisions in a 2013 Farm Bill: S. 954 and H.R. 2642", "summary": null, "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20130724_R42759_dbaf7d9c8d17b6d818297f4fb2984a821f5fe7bf.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20130724_R42759_dbaf7d9c8d17b6d818297f4fb2984a821f5fe7bf.html" } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc805764/", "id": "R42759_2012Sep28", "date": "2012-09-28", "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26", "title": "Farm Safety Net Provisions in a 2012 Farm Bill: S. 3240 and H.R. 6083", "summary": null, "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20120928_R42759_df2b7694f226496fe7cc11d90cbf6c8e27fe7b67.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20120928_R42759_df2b7694f226496fe7cc11d90cbf6c8e27fe7b67.html" } ], "topics": [] } ], "topics": [ "Agricultural Policy" ] }