7 USC 1999 – Interest rate reduction program
(a) Establishment of program
The Secretary shall establish and carry out in accordance with this section an interest rate reduction program for loans guaranteed under this chapter.
(b) Contracts with lenders
Terms Used In 7 USC 1999
- borrower: means any farm borrower who has outstanding obligations to the Secretary under any farmer program loan, without regard to whether the loan has been accelerated, but does not include any farm borrower all of whose loans and accounts have been foreclosed on or liquidated, voluntarily or otherwise. See 7 USC 1991
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
- Foreclosure: A legal process in which property that is collateral or security for a loan may be sold to help repay the loan when the loan is in default. Source: OCC
- Interest rate: The amount paid by a borrower to a lender in exchange for the use of the lender's money for a certain period of time. Interest is paid on loans or on debt instruments, such as notes or bonds, either at regular intervals or as part of a lump sum payment when the issue matures. Source: OCC
Under such program, the Secretary shall enter into a contract with, and make payments to, a legally organized institution to reduce during the term of such contract the interest rate paid by a borrower on a guaranteed loan made by such institution if—
(1) the borrower—
(A) is unable to obtain sufficient credit elsewhere to finance the actual needs of the borrower at reasonable rates and terms, taking into consideration private and cooperative rates and terms for a loan for a similar purpose and period of time in the community in or near which the borrower resides;
(B) is otherwise unable to make payments on such loan in a timely manner; and
(C) has a total estimated cash income during the 24-month period beginning on the date such contract is entered into (including all farm and nonfarm income) that will equal or exceed the total estimated cash expenses to be incurred by the borrower during such period (including all farm and nonfarm expenses); and
(2) the lender reduces during the term of such contract the annual rate of interest payable on such loan by a minimum percentage specified in such contract.
(c) Payments to lenders
In return for a contract entered into by a lender under subsection (b) for the reduction of the interest rate paid on a loan, the Secretary shall make payments to the lender in an amount equal to not more than 100 percent of the cost of reducing the annual rate of interest payable on such loan, except that such payments may not exceed the cost of reducing such rate by more than 4 percent.
(d) Duration of contracts
The term of a contract entered into under this section to reduce the interest rate on a guaranteed loan may not exceed the outstanding term of such loan.
(e) Agricultural Credit Insurance Fund use limitation
(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the Agricultural Credit Insurance Fund established under section 1929 of this title may be used by the Secretary to carry out this section.
(2)
(A)
(B)
(i)
(ii)
(f) List of lender participants in guaranteed loan program
The Secretary shall make available to farmers, on request, a list of lenders in the area that participate in guaranteed farm loan programs and other lenders in the area that express a desire to participate in such programs and that request inclusion in the list.
(g) Foreclosure action provision in farm loan guarantees
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, each contract of guarantee on a farm loan entered into under this chapter after January 6, 1988, shall contain a condition that the lender of the guaranteed loan may not initiate foreclosure action on the loan until 60 days after a determination is made with respect to the eligibility of the borrower thereof to participate in the program under this section.