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HR 2239 106th Congress House Agriculture and Food Administrative procedure Agricultural cooperatives Agricultural prices Agricultural production Agricultural subsidies Authorization Commerce Corporation directors Crime and Law Enforcement Crop insurance Department of Agriculture Disaster relief Economics and Public Finance Emergency Management Evidence (Law) Executive reorganization Farm income Federal Crop Insurance Corporation Fees

Crop Insurance Equalization Act of 1999

Introduced: June 16, 1999 See on congress.gov
 Everywhere this bill has been 5 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Jun 28, 1999
Executive Comment Requested from USDA.
Jun 28, 1999
Referred to the Subcommittee on Risk Management, Research and Specialty Crops.
Jun 16, 1999
Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
Jun 16, 1999
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E1293)
Jun 16, 1999
Introduced in House
 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service
Crop Insurance Equalization Act of 1999 - Title I: Crop Insurance Coverage - Amends the Federal Crop Insurance Act to provide that the Commodity Credit Corporation, with respect to prevented planting crop insurance, shall: (1) offer such coverage as an option to a crop insurance policy; (2) provide equal coverage levels for all covered commodities; and (3) permit (noninsurable) substitute plantings.

(Sec. 102) Directs the Corporation to develop alternative rates and methodologies for rating insurance plans, which shall take into account nonparticipating producers and producers participating only in catastrophic risk protection. Grants priority to commodities with the largest acreage and the lowest percentage of participating producers.

(Sec. 103) Directs the Corporation to: (1) offer optional quality adjustment policies; and (2) establish a low-risk producer pilot program.

(Sec. 105) Increases catastrophic risk coverage. Revises related loss adjustment fee provisions.

(Sec. 107) Establishes a projected-cost price level (expected market price) for production insurance plans.

(Sec. 108) Directs the Corporation to provide premium discounts for qualifying risk-reducing production practices.

(Sec. 109) Provides 50 percent premium subsidies for additional coverage and catastrophic risk protection (with 100 percent and 75 percent coverage for crop years 2000 and 2001, respectively).

(Sec. 112) Directs the Corporation, for production history calculation purposes, to assign a producer a commodity yield equal to 85 percent of the county's transition yield for a year in which disasters have reduced yield to below such level.

(Sec. 113) Prohibits the Corporation from subsidizing a plan that offers coverage for losses based on change of price.

(Sec. 114) Limits underwriting gains to 50 percent of the policy.

(Sec. 115) Amends the Agricultural Market Transition Act to include certain isolated producers in the noninsured crop assistance program. Revises provisions regarding: (1) area and individual loss thresholds; (2) market price-based payments; and (3) income eligibility.

Title II: Administration - Amends the Federal Crop Insurance Act to revise the membership of the Corporation's Board of Directors.

(Sec. 202) Amends the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 to place the Office of Risk Management under the Board.

(Sec. 203) Amends the Federal Crop Insurance Act to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to establish an Office of Private Sector Partnership to provide specified Board-private sector liaison functions.

(Sec. 204) Increases monetary penalties for intentionally providing false insurance information. Authorizes disbarment from Department of Agriculture programs for such violations.

(Sec. 206) Directs the Corporation to establish a crop insurance compliance monitoring program.

(Sec. 207) Authorizes a cooperative association acting as an insurance agent to provide its members with funds received from the Corporation.

(Sec. 208) Prohibits purchasing insurance for more than one crop per year on the same acreage unless the producer or the acreage has a previous history of double-cropping.

(Sec. 209) Provides for State consultation.

(Sec. 211) Authorizes specified insurance plan fees.

(Sec. 212) Directs the Corporation to carry out a flexible subsidy pilot program to encourage private sector innovation through exclusive marketing rights and premium rate competition.

What's happening now June 28, 1999

Executive Comment Requested from USDA.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2