7 USC 1994 – Maximum amounts for loans authorized; long-term cost projections
(a) Maximum aggregate principal amounts for loans authorized
Effective October 1, 1979, the aggregate principal amount of loans under the programs authorized under each subchapter of this chapter during each three-year period thereafter shall not exceed such amounts as may be authorized by law after August 4, 1978. There shall be two amounts so established for each of such programs and for any maximum levels provided in appropriation Acts for the programs authorized under this chapter, one against which direct and insured loans shall be charged and the other against which guaranteed loans shall be charged.
(b) Authorization for loans
(1) In general
The Secretary may make or guarantee loans under subchapters I and II from the Agricultural Credit Insurance Fund provided for in section 1929 of this title for not more than $10,000,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023, of which, for each fiscal year—
(A) $3,000,000,000 shall be for direct loans, of which—
(i) $1,500,000,000 shall be for farm ownership loans under subchapter I; and
(ii) $1,500,000,000 shall be for operating loans under subchapter II; and
(B) $7,000,000,000 shall be for guaranteed loans, of which—
(i) $3,500,000,000 shall be for farm ownership loans under subchapter I; and
(ii) $3,500,000,000 shall be for operating loans under subchapter II.
(2) Beginning farmers and ranchers
(A) Direct loans
(i) Farm ownership loans
(I) In general
Of the amounts made available under paragraph (1) for direct farm ownership loans, the Secretary shall reserve an amount that is not less than 75 percent of the total amount for qualified beginning farmers and ranchers.
(II) Down payment loans; joint financing arrangements
Of the amounts reserved for a fiscal year under subclause (I), the Secretary shall reserve an amount not less than 2/3 of the amount for the down payment loan program under section 1935 of this title and joint financing arrangements under section 1927(a)(3)(D) of this title until April 1 of the fiscal year.
(ii) Operating loans
Of the amounts made available under paragraph (1) for direct operating loans, the Secretary shall reserve for qualified beginning farmers and ranchers—
(I) for each of fiscal years 1996 through 1998, 25 percent;
(II) for fiscal year 1999, 30 percent; and
(III) for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2023, an amount that is not less than 50 percent.
(iii) Funds reserved until September 1
Except as provided in clause (i)(II), funds reserved for qualified beginning farmers or ranchers under this subparagraph for a fiscal year shall be reserved only until September 1 of the fiscal year.
(B) Guaranteed loans
(i) Farm ownership loans
Of the amounts made available under paragraph (1) for guarantees of farm ownership loans, the Secretary shall reserve an amount that is not less than 40 percent of the total amount for qualified beginning farmers and ranchers.
(ii) Operating loans
Of the amounts made available under paragraph (1) for guarantees of operating loans, the Secretary shall reserve 40 percent for qualified beginning farmers and ranchers.
(iii) Funds reserved until April 1
Funds reserved for qualified beginning farmers or ranchers under this subparagraph for a fiscal year shall be reserved only until April 1 of the fiscal year.
(C) Reserved funds for all qualified beginning farmers and ranchers
If a qualified beginning farmer or rancher meets the eligibility criteria for receiving a direct or guaranteed loan under section 1922, 1935, or 1941 of this title, the Secretary shall make or guarantee the loan if sufficient funds reserved under this paragraph are available to make or guarantee the loan.
(3) Transfer for down payment loans
(A) In general
Notwithstanding subsection (a), subject to subparagraph (B)—
(i) beginning on August 1 of each fiscal year, the Secretary shall use available unsubsidized guaranteed farm operating loan funds to provide direct farm ownership loans approved by the Secretary to qualified beginning farmers and ranchers under the down payment loan program established under section 1935 of this title, if sufficient direct farm ownership loan funds are not otherwise available; and
(ii) beginning on September 1 of each fiscal year, the Secretary shall use available unsubsidized guaranteed farm operating loan funds to provide direct farm ownership loans approved by the Secretary to qualified beginning farmers and ranchers, if sufficient direct farm ownership loan funds are not otherwise available.
(B) Limitation
The Secretary shall limit the transfer of funds under subparagraph (A) so that all guaranteed farm operating loans that have been approved, or will be approved, by the Secretary during the fiscal year will be made to the extent of available amounts.
(4) Transfer for credit sales of farm inventory property
(A) In general
Notwithstanding subsection (a), subject to subparagraphs (B) and (C), beginning on September 1 of each fiscal year, the Secretary may use available funds made available under subchapter III for the fiscal year to fund the credit sale of farm real estate in the inventory of the Secretary.
(B) Supplemental appropriations
The transfer authority provided under subparagraph (A) shall not apply to any funds made available to the Secretary for any fiscal year under an Act making supplemental appropriations.
(C) Limitation
The Secretary shall limit the transfer of funds under subparagraph (A) so that all emergency disaster loans that have been approved, or will be approved, by the Secretary during the fiscal year will be made to the extent of available amounts.
(5) Use of additional funds for direct operating microloans under certain conditions
(A) In general
If the Secretary determines that the amount needed for a fiscal year for direct operating loans (including microloans) under subchapter II is greater than the aggregate principal amount authorized for that fiscal year by this Act, an appropriations Act, or any other provision of law, the Secretary shall make additional microloans under subchapter II using amounts made available under subparagraph (C).
(B) Notice
Not later than 15 days before the date on which the Secretary uses the authority under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall submit a notice of the use of that authority to—
(i) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives;
(ii) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate;
(iii) the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives; and
(iv) the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate.
(C) Authorization of appropriations
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this paragraph $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023.
(c) Development of long-term cost projections for loan program authorizations
Terms Used In 7 USC 1994
- Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
- 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
- farmer: includes a person who is engaged in, or who, with assistance afforded under this chapter, intends to engage in, fish farming. See 7 USC 1991
- 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.
The Secretary shall develop long-term cost projections for loan program authorizations required under subsection (a) of this section. Each such projection shall include analyses of (1) the long-term costs of the lending levels that the Secretary requests to be authorized under subsection (a) of this section and (2) the long-term costs for increases in lending levels beyond those requested to be authorized, based on increments of $10,000,000 or such other levels as the Secretary deems appropriate. Long-term cost projections for the three-year period beginning with fiscal year 1983 and each three-year period thereafter shall be submitted to the House Committee on Agriculture, the House Committee on Appropriations, the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, and the Senate Committee on Appropriations at the time the requests for authorizations for those periods are submitted to Congress. Not later than fifteen days after October 13, 1980, the Secretary shall submit to such committees long-term cost projections covering authorized lending levels for the loan programs for fiscal years 1981 and 1982.
(d) Low-income, limited-resource borrowers
(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, not less than 25 per centum of the loans for farm ownership purposes under subchapter I of this chapter, and not less than 25 per centum of the loans for farm operating purposes under subchapter II of this chapter, authorized to be insured, or made to be sold and insured, from the Agricultural Credit Insurance Fund during each fiscal year shall be for low-income, limited-resource borrowers.
(2) The Secretary shall provide notification to farm borrowers under this chapter, as soon as practicable after April 10, 1984, and in the normal course of loan making and loan servicing operations, of the provisions of this chapter relating to low-income, limited-resource borrowers and the procedures by which persons may apply for loans under the low-income, limited-resource borrower program.