(a) Eligibility

All dairy operations in the United States shall be eligible to participate in dairy margin coverage to receive dairy margin coverage payments.

(b) Registration process

(1) In general

The Secretary shall specify the manner and form by which a participating dairy operation may register to participate in dairy margin coverage, including the establishment of a date each calendar year by which a dairy operation shall register for the calendar year.

(2) Extension of election period for 2018 calendar year

(A) In general

The Secretary shall extend the election period for the 2018 calendar year by not less than 90 days after February 9, 2018, or such additional period as the Secretary determines is necessary for dairy operations to make new elections to participate for that calendar year, including dairy operations that elected to so participate before February 9, 2018.

(B) Retroactive program option

In the case of a dairy operation that, by operation of subsection (d) (as in effect on the day before December 20, 2018), was ineligible to participate in the margin protection program for any part of calendar year 2018, the Secretary shall establish a new election period for that calendar year that ends on a date that is not less than 90 days after December 20, 2018, and the Secretary determines is necessary for dairy operations to make new elections to participate in the margin protection program (as in effect on the day before December 20, 2018) for that calendar year, including dairy operations that elected to participate in the livestock gross margin for dairy program under the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1501 et seq.) before February 9, 2018.

(3) Election period for 2019 calendar year

For the 2019 calendar year, the Secretary shall—

(A) open the election period not later than 60 days after the effective date described in section 1401(m) of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018; and

(B) hold that election period open for not less than 90 days.

(4) Treatment of multiproducer dairy operation

(A) In general

If a participating dairy operation is operated by more than 1 dairy producer, the dairy producers of the dairy operation who elect to participate shall be treated as a single dairy operation for purposes of participating in dairy margin coverage.

(B) Rule of construction

Subparagraph (A) shall not be construed to allow a producer to adjust the proportion of their share covered under tier I or tier II premiums from the proportion covered for the operation.

(5) Treatment of producers with multiple dairy operations

If a dairy producer operates 2 or more dairy operations, each dairy operation of the producer shall separately register to participate in dairy margin coverage.

(c) Annual administrative fee

(1) Administrative fee required

Each participating dairy operation shall—

(A) pay an administrative fee to register to participate in dairy margin coverage; and

(B) pay the administrative fee annually through the duration of dairy margin coverage specified in section 9059 of this title.

(2) Amount of fee

The administrative fee for a participating dairy operation shall be $100.

(3) Use of fees

The Secretary shall use administrative fees collected under this subsection to cover administrative costs incurred to carry out dairy margin coverage.

(4) Exemption

A limited resource, beginning, veteran, or socially disadvantaged farmer, as defined by the Secretary, shall be exempt from the administrative fee under this subsection.