To amend the commodity provisions of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 to permit producers to aggregate base acres and reconstitute farms to avoid the prohibition on receiving direct payments, counter-cyclical payments, or average crop revenue election payments when the sum of the base acres of a farm is 10 acres or less, and for other purposes.
Latest Action
Became Public Law No: 110-398.
Official Summary
Official summary has not been imported yet.
GovScope Watchdog™
AI Government Intelligence™This bill amends the commodity provisions of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 to allow agricultural producers to aggregate base acres and reconstitute farms in cases where the total base acres are 10 acres or less. This change permits these producers to avoid the existing prohibition on receiving certain farm payments, including direct payments, counter-cyclical payments, or average crop revenue election payments. The bill was enacted into law as Public Law No: 110-398 on October 13, 2008.
The law enables small-scale agricultural producers with 10 or fewer base acres to combine their land for eligibility to receive specific federal farm payments previously restricted under the 2008 Act.
- Modifies the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 commodity provisions related to farm base acres.
- Allows aggregation and reconstitution of farms with 10 or fewer base acres to qualify for direct and counter-cyclical payments.
- Aims to adjust payment eligibility rules to better accommodate small producers.
['Small-scale agricultural producers with 10 or fewer base acres', 'Farmers eligible for direct payments, counter-cyclical payments, and average crop revenue election payments', 'Agricultural sector stakeholders involved in commodity programs']
['Implementation complexity in verifying aggregated base acres and reconstituted farms', 'Potential administrative costs associated with processing aggregated farm payments', 'Oversight challenges to ensure compliance with aggregation rules and prevent misuse']
This bill was introduced and passed during the 110th Congress and was signed into law in 2008 as part of amendments to the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008. It reflects legislative efforts to refine commodity payment eligibility criteria for small producers within the broader context of U.S. agricultural policy.
Hidden impact flags detected: 2
GovScope reviewed 2 policy-risk categories. Hover for a quick definition. Click detected flags for bill-specific details.
['Potential increase in participation of small-scale producers in federal commodity programs.', 'Possible adjustments in farm management practices to optimize eligibility for payments.', 'Administrative resource allocation shifts within USDA to manage new aggregation rules.']
The bill's aggregation and reconstitution provisions warrant close monitoring to ensure accurate implementation and prevent unintended expansion of payment eligibility. Transparency in how base acres are aggregated and farms reconstituted will be critical for oversight. The absence of full bill text limits detailed analysis of enforcement and compliance mechanisms.
GovScope Intelligence Roadmap
Future bill intelligence will connect sponsors, committee referrals, related votes, campaign finance, disclosures, and stock trades into one legislative intelligence view.