7 USC 1308 – Payment limitations
(a) Definitions
In this section through section 1308-5 of this title:
(1) Covered commodity
The term “covered commodity” has the meaning given that term in section 1111 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 9011).
(2) Family member
The term “family member” means a person to whom a member in the farming operation is related as lineal ancestor, lineal descendant, sibling, first cousin, niece, nephew, spouse, or otherwise by marriage.
(3) Legal entity
The term “legal entity” means an entity that is created under Federal or State law and that—
(A) owns land or an agricultural commodity; or
(B) produces an agricultural commodity.
(4) Person
The term “person” means a natural person, and does not include a legal entity.
(5) Secretary
The term “Secretary” means the Secretary of Agriculture.
(b) Limitation on payments for covered commodities (other than peanuts)
Terms Used In 7 USC 1308
- association: when used in reference to a corporation, shall be deemed to embrace the words "successors and assigns of such company or association" in like manner as if these last-named words, or words of similar import, were expressed. See 1 USC 5
- Beneficiary: A person who is entitled to receive the benefits or proceeds of a will, trust, insurance policy, retirement plan, annuity, or other contract. Source: OCC
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. Source: U.S. Courts
- Grantor: The person who establishes a trust and places property into it.
- individual: shall include every infant member of the species homo sapiens who is born alive at any stage of development. See 1 USC 8
- Irrevocable trust: A trust arrangement that cannot be revoked, rescinded, or repealed by the grantor.
- Lineal descendant: Direct descendant of the same ancestors.
- Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
- Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.
- Revocable trust: A trust agreement that can be canceled, rescinded, revoked, or repealed by the grantor (person who establishes the trust).
- Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
- State: means a State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any other territory or possession of the United States. See 1 USC 7
The total amount of payments received, directly or indirectly, by a person or legal entity (except a joint venture or general partnership) for any crop year under sections 1116 and 1117 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 9016, 9017) (other than for peanuts) may not exceed $125,000.
(c) Limitation on payments for peanuts
The total amount of payments received, directly or indirectly, by a person or legal entity (except a joint venture or general partnership) for any crop year under sections 1116 and 1117 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 9016, 9017) for peanuts may not exceed $125,000.
(d) Limitation on applicability
Nothing in this section authorizes any limitation on any benefit associated with the forfeiture of a commodity pledged as collateral for a loan made available under subtitle B of title I of the Agricultural Act of 2014 [7 U.S.C. 9031 et seq.] or title I of the Agricultural Act of 2014 [7 U.S.C. 9001 et seq.].
(e) Attribution of payments
(1) In general
In implementing subsections (b) and (c) and a program described in paragraphs (1)(C) and (2)(B) of section 1308-3a(b) 1 of this title, the Secretary shall issue such regulations as are necessary to ensure that the total amount of payments are attributed to a person by taking into account the direct and indirect ownership interests of the person in a legal entity that is eligible to receive the payments.
(2) Payments to a person
Each payment made directly to a person shall be combined with the pro rata interest of the person in payments received by a legal entity in which the person has a direct or indirect ownership interest unless the payments of the legal entity have been reduced by the pro rata share of the person.
(3) Payments to a legal entity
(A) In general
Each payment made to a legal entity shall be attributed to those persons who have a direct or indirect ownership interest in the legal entity unless the payment to the legal entity has been reduced by the pro rata share of the person.
(B) Attribution of payments
(i) Payment limits
Except as provided in clause (ii), payments made to a legal entity shall not exceed the amounts specified in subsections (b) and (c).
(ii) Exception for joint ventures and general partnerships
Payments made to a joint venture or a general partnership shall not exceed, for each payment specified in subsections (b) and (c), the amount determined by multiplying the maximum payment amount specified in subsections (b) and (c) by the number of persons and legal entities (other than joint ventures and general partnerships) that comprise the ownership of the joint venture or general partnership.
(iii) Reduction
Payments made to a legal entity shall be reduced proportionately by an amount that represents the direct or indirect ownership in the legal entity by any person or legal entity that has otherwise exceeded the applicable maximum payment limitation.
(4) 4 levels of attribution for embedded legal entities
(A) In general
Attribution of payments made to legal entities shall be traced through 4 levels of ownership in legal entities.
(B) First level
Any payments made to a legal entity (a first-tier legal entity) that is owned in whole or in part by a person shall be attributed to the person in an amount that represents the direct ownership in the first-tier legal entity by the person.
(C) Second level
(i) In general
Any payments made to a first-tier legal entity that is owned (in whole or in part) by another legal entity (a second-tier legal entity) shall be attributed to the second-tier legal entity in proportion to the ownership of the second-tier legal entity in the first-tier legal entity.
(ii) Ownership by a person
If the second-tier legal entity is owned (in whole or in part) by a person, the amount of the payment made to the first-tier legal entity shall be attributed to the person in the amount that represents the indirect ownership in the first-tier legal entity by the person.
(D) Third and fourth levels
(i) In general
Except as provided in clause (ii), the Secretary shall attribute payments at the third and fourth tiers of ownership in the same manner as specified in subparagraph (C).
(ii) Fourth-tier ownership
If the fourth-tier of ownership is that of a fourth-tier legal entity and not that of a person, the Secretary shall reduce the amount of the payment to be made to the first-tier legal entity in the amount that represents the indirect ownership in the first-tier legal entity by the fourth-tier legal entity.
(f) Special rules
(1) Minor children
(A) In general
Except as provided in subparagraph (B), payments received by a child under the age of 18 shall be attributed to the parents of the child.
(B) Regulations
The Secretary shall issue regulations specifying the conditions under which payments received by a child under the age of 18 will not be attributed to the parents of the child.
(2) Marketing cooperatives
Subsections (b) and (c) shall not apply to a cooperative association of producers with respect to commodities produced by the members of the association that are marketed by the association on behalf of the members of the association but shall apply to the producers as persons.
(3) Trusts and estates
(A) In general
With respect to irrevocable trusts and estates, the Secretary shall administer this section through section 1308-5 of this title in such manner as the Secretary determines will ensure the fair and equitable treatment of the beneficiaries of the trusts and estates.
(B) Irrevocable trust
(i) In general
In order for a trust to be considered an irrevocable trust, the terms of the trust agreement shall not—
(I) allow for modification or termination of the trust by the grantor;
(II) allow for the grantor to have any future, contingent, or remainder interest in the corpus of the trust; or
(III) except as provided in clause (ii), provide for the transfer of the corpus of the trust to the remainder beneficiary in less than 20 years beginning on the date the trust is established.
(ii) Exception
Clause (i)(III) shall not apply in a case in which the transfer is—
(I) contingent on the remainder beneficiary achieving at least the age of majority; or
(II) contingent on the death of the grantor or income beneficiary.
(C) Revocable trust
For the purposes of this section through section 1308-5 of this title, a revocable trust shall be considered to be the same person as the grantor of the trust.
(4) Cash rent tenants
(A) Definition
In this paragraph, the term “cash rent tenant” means a person or legal entity that rents land—
(i) for cash; or
(ii) for a crop share guaranteed as to the amount of the commodity to be paid in rent.
(B) Restriction
A cash rent tenant who makes a significant contribution of active personal management, but not of personal labor, with respect to a farming operation shall be eligible to receive a payment described in subsection (b) or (c) only if the tenant makes a significant contribution of equipment to the farming operation.
(5) Federal agencies
(A) In general
Notwithstanding subsection (d), a Federal agency shall not be eligible to receive any payment, benefit, or loan under title I of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 [7 U.S.C. 8701 et seq.], title I of the Agricultural Act of 2014 [7 U.S.C. 9001 et seq.], or title XII of this Act [16 U.S.C. 3801 et seq.].
(B) Land rental
A lessee of land owned by a Federal agency may receive a payment described in subsection (b), (c), or (d) if the lessee otherwise meets all applicable criteria.
(6) State and local governments
(A) In general
Notwithstanding subsection (d), except as provided in subsection (g), a State or local government, or political subdivision or agency of the government, shall not be eligible to receive any payment, benefit, or loan under title I of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 [7 U.S.C. 8701 et seq.], title I of the Agricultural Act of 2014 [7 U.S.C. 9001 et seq.], or title XII of this Act [16 U.S.C. 3801 et seq.].
(B) Tenants
A lessee of land owned by a State or local government, or political subdivision or agency of the government, may receive payments described in subsections (b), (c), and (d) if the lessee otherwise meets all applicable criteria.
(7) Changes in farming operations
(A) In general
In the administration of this section through section 1308-5 of this title, the Secretary may not approve any change in a farming operation that otherwise will increase the number of persons to which the limitations under this section are applied unless the Secretary determines that the change is bona fide and substantive.
(B) Family members
The addition of a family member to a farming operation under the criteria set out in section 1308-1 of this title shall be considered a bona fide and substantive change in the farming operation.
(8) Death of owner
(A) In general
If any ownership interest in land or a commodity is transferred as the result of the death of a program participant, the new owner of the land or commodity may, if the person is otherwise eligible to participate in the applicable program, succeed to the contract of the prior owner and receive payments subject to this section without regard to the amount of payments received by the new owner.
(B) Limitations on prior owner
Payments made under this paragraph shall not exceed the amount to which the previous owner was entitled to receive under the terms of the contract at the time of the death of the prior owner.
(9) Administration of reduction
The Secretary shall apply any order described in section 1614(d)(1) of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 9097(d)(1)) to payments under sections 1116 and 1117 of that Act (7 U.S.C. 9016, 9017) prior to applying payment limitations under this section.
(g) Public schools
(1) In general
Notwithstanding subsection (f)(6)(A), a State or local government, or political subdivision or agency of the government, shall be eligible, subject to the limitation in paragraph (2), to receive a payment described in subsection (b) or (c) for land owned by the State or local government, or political subdivision or agency of the government, that is used to maintain a public school.
(2) Limitation
(A) In general
For each State, the total amount of payments described in subsections (b) and (c) that are received collectively by the State and local government and all political subdivisions or agencies of those governments shall not exceed $500,000.
(B) Exception
The limitation in subparagraph (A) shall not apply to States with a population of less than 1,500,000.
(h) Time limits; reliance
Regulations of the Secretary shall establish time limits for the various steps involved with notice, hearing, decision, and the appeals procedure in order to ensure expeditious handling and settlement of payment limitation disputes. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, actions taken by an individual or other entity in good faith on action or advice of an authorized representative of the Secretary may be accepted as meeting the requirement under this section or section 1308-1 of this title, to the extent the Secretary deems it desirable in order to provide fair and equitable treatment.