[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6712 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 6712
To amend the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 to provide
recovery payments to seasonal and perishable crop growers who
experienced low prices caused by imports, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 11, 2023
Mr. Ruiz (for himself and Mr. Austin Scott of Georgia) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 to provide
recovery payments to seasonal and perishable crop growers who
experienced low prices caused by imports, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``American Seasonal and Perishable
Crop Support Act''.
SEC. 2. SEASONAL AND PERISHABLE INSURANCE PROGRAMS.
The Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-
465) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``TITLE V--SEASONAL AND PERISHABLE INSURANCE PROGRAMS
``SEC. 501. SEASONAL AND PERISHABLE CROP LOSS PROGRAM.
``(a) Seasonal and Perishable Crop Loss.--
``(1) In general.--Beginning with marketing year 2024, with
respect to a producer of a seasonal and perishable crop in a
geographic region described in paragraph (2), the Secretary
shall make crop loss payments in accordance with this section
for a marketing year if the Secretary determines that--
``(A) the effective price for the seasonal and
perishable crop for such marketing year is less than
the reference price for such crop; and
``(B) the crop loss described in subparagraph (A)
is caused by imports of the seasonal and perishable
crop.
``(2) Geographic coverage.--A geographic region described
in this paragraph is a geographic region for which at least 50
percent of the producers that produce at least one seasonal and
perishable crop make a one-time election to participate in the
seasonal perishable crop loss payment program under this
section with respect to a marketing year.
``(3) Election.--For each marketing year, the Secretary
shall allow producers of seasonal and perishable crops to make
a one-time election to participate in the seasonal and
perishable crop loss program under this section with respect to
such marketing year.
``(b) Effective Price.--The effective price for a seasonal and
perishable crop for a marketing year shall be the national average
market price for the seasonal and perishable crop.
``(c) Payments.--
``(1) In general.--The amount of a payment to a producer
for a marketing year under this section shall be equal to the
payment rate determined under paragraph (2) with respect to the
seasonal and perishable crops of such producer multiplied by 85
percent of the 5-year Olympic average with respect to such
seasonal and perishable crops.
``(2) Payment rate.--The payment rate shall be equal to the
difference between--
``(A) the reference price for the covered seasonal
and perishable crop; and
``(B) the effective price determined under
subsection (b) for the seasonal and perishable crop.
``(d) Payment Amount.--If seasonal perishable crop loss program
payments are required to be provided under this section for the last
seasonal marketing year for a covered seasonal and perishable crop, the
amount of the seasonal perishable crop loss program payment to be paid
to the producers on a farm for the seasonal marketing year shall be
equal to the product obtained by multiplying--
``(1) the payment rate for the covered seasonal and
perishable crop under subsection (c); and
``(2) the previous three-year average production for the
seasonal and perishable crop.
``(e) Eligibility.--No producer may be eligible for a payment under
this section unless such producer--
``(1) has an average adjusted gross income of less than
$900,000 for the 3 tax years preceding the most recent tax
year; and
``(2) derives at least 75 percent of the adjusted gross
income of such producer from farming, ranching, or forestry.
``(f) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Marketing season.--The term `marketing season' means,
with respect to a seasonal and perishable crop, the season--
``(A) in which such crop is normally marketed; and
``(B) that concludes on the date that is not later
than 8 weeks after the last day on which such crops are
harvested during a marketing year.
``(2) Marketing year.--The term `marketing year' means,
with respect to a seasonal and perishable crop, the period
beginning on the date the seasonal and perishable crop is first
harvested and ending on the last day on which such crop is
marketed.
``(3) Reference price.--The term `reference price' means
regional average market price received by producers during the
marketing season for a seasonal and perishable crop for the
period of the most recent three marketing years.
``(4) Seasonal and perishable crop.--The term `seasonal and
perishable crop' means a crop that is--
``(A) a fresh or chilled specialty crop;
``(B) marketed in raw form for consumption without
further processing; and
``(C) normally marketed not later than 8 weeks
after harvesting.
``(5) Secretary.--The term `Secretary' means the Secretary
of Agriculture.''.
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