7 U.S.C. § 9012 | Base acres

(a)

Retention or 1-time reallocation of base acres

(1)

Election required

(A)

Notice of election opportunity

February 7, 2014As soon as practicable after , the Secretary shall provide notice to the owners of a farm regarding their opportunity to make an election, in the manner provided in this subsection—

(i)

to retain base acres, including any generic base acres, as provided in paragraph (2); or

(ii)

in lieu of retaining base acres, to reallocate base acres, other than any generic base acres, as provided in paragraph (3).

(B)

Content of notice

The notice under subparagraph (A) shall include the following:

(i)

Information that the opportunity of an owner to make the election is being provided only once.

(ii)

Information regarding the manner in which the owner must make the election and the manner of notifying the Secretary of the election.

(iii)

Information regarding the deadline before which the owner must notify the Secretary of the election to be in effect beginning with the 2014 crop year.

(C)

Effect of failure to make election

If the owner of a farm fails to make the election under this subsection, or fails to timely notify the Secretary of the election as required by subparagraph (B)(iii), the owner shall be deemed to have elected to retain base acres, including generic base acres, as provided in paragraph (2).

(2)

Retention of base acres

(A)

Election to retain

For the purpose of applying this subchapter to a covered commodity, the Secretary shall give an owner of a farm an opportunity to elect to retain all of the base acres for each covered commodity on the farm.

(B)

Treatment of generic base acres

Generic base acres are automatically retained.

(3)

Reallocation of base acres

(A)

Election to reallocate

September 30, 2013For the purpose of applying this subchapter to covered commodities, the Secretary shall give an owner of a farm an opportunity to elect to reallocate all of the base acres for covered commodities on the farm, as in effect on , among those covered commodities planted on the farm at any time during the 2009 through 2012 crop years.

(B)

Reallocation formula

The reallocation of base acres among covered commodities on a farm shall be in proportion to the ratio of—

(i)

the 4-year average of—

(I)

the acreage planted on the farm to each covered commodity for harvest, grazing, haying, silage, or other similar purposes for the 2009 through 2012 crop years; and

(II)

any acreage on the farm that the producers were prevented from planting during the 2009 through 2012 crop years to that covered commodity because of drought, flood, or other natural disaster, or other condition beyond the control of the producers, as determined by the Secretary; to

(ii)

the 4-year average of—

(I)

the acreage planted on the farm to all covered commodities for harvest, grazing, haying, silage, or other similar purposes for such crop years; and

(II)

any acreage on the farm that the producers were prevented from planting during such crop years to covered commodities because of drought, flood, or other natural disaster, or other condition beyond the control of the producers, as determined by the Secretary.

(C)

Treatment of generic base acres

Generic base acres are retained and may not be reallocated under this paragraph.

(D)

Inclusion of all 4 years in average

For the purpose of determining a 4-year acreage average under subparagraph (B) for a farm, the Secretary shall not exclude any crop year in which a covered commodity was not planted.

(E)

Treatment of multiple planting or prevented planting

For the purpose of determining under subparagraph (B) the acreage on a farm that producers planted or were prevented from planting during the 2009 through 2012 crop years to covered commodities, if the acreage that was planted or prevented from being planted was devoted to another covered commodity in the same crop year (other than a covered commodity produced under an established practice of double cropping), the owner may elect the commodity to be used for that crop year in determining the 4-year average, but may not include both the initial commodity and the subsequent commodity.

(F)

Limitation

September 30, 2013The reallocation of base acres among covered commodities on a farm under this paragraph may not result in a total number of base acres (including generic base acres) for the farm in excess of the number of base acres in effect for the farm on .

(4)

Application of election to all covered commodities

The election made under this subsection, or deemed to be made under paragraph (1)(C), with respect to a farm shall apply to all of the covered commodities on the farm.

(b)

Adjustment of base acres

(1)

In general

Notwithstanding the election made under subsection (a), the Secretary shall provide for an adjustment, as appropriate, in the base acres for covered commodities for a farm and any generic base acres for the farm whenever any of the following circumstances occur:

(A)

16 U.S.C. 3831 A conservation reserve contract entered into under section 1231 of the Food Security Act of 1985 () with respect to the farm expires or is voluntarily terminated.

(B)

Cropland is released from coverage under a conservation reserve contract by the Secretary.

(C)

section 8711(a)(1)(D) of this title The producer has eligible oilseed acreage as the result of the Secretary designating additional oilseeds, which shall be determined in the same manner as eligible oilseed acreage under .

(2)

Special conservation reserve acreage payment rules

For the crop year in which a base acres adjustment under subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (1) is first made, the owner of the farm shall elect to receive price loss coverage or agriculture risk coverage with respect to the acreage added to the farm under this subsection or a prorated payment under the conservation reserve contract, but not both.

(c)

Prevention of excess base acres

(1)

Required reduction

Notwithstanding the election made under subsection (a), if the sum of the base acres for a farm, including generic base acres, and the acreage described in paragraph (2) exceeds the actual cropland acreage of the farm, the Secretary shall reduce the base acres for 1 or more covered commodities or generic base acres for the farm so that the sum of the base acres, including generic base acres, and the acreage described in paragraph (2) does not exceed the actual cropland acreage of the farm.

(2)

Other acreage

For purposes of paragraph (1), the Secretary shall include the following:

(A)

Any acreage on the farm enrolled in—

(i)

16 U.S.C. 3831 the conservation reserve program established under subchapter B of chapter 1 of subtitle D of title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985 ( et seq.); or

(ii)

16 U.S.C. 3865c a wetland reserve easement under section 1265C of the Food Security Act of 1985 ().

(B)

Any other acreage on the farm enrolled in a Federal conservation program for which payments are made in exchange for not producing an agricultural commodity on the acreage.

(C)

If the Secretary designates additional oilseeds, any eligible oilseed acreage, which shall be determined in the same manner as eligible oilseed acreage under subsection (b)(1)(C).

(3)

Selection of acres

The Secretary shall give the owner of the farm the opportunity to select the base acres for a covered commodity or generic base acres for the farm against which the reduction required by paragraph (1) will be made.

(4)

Exception for double-cropped acreage

In applying paragraph (1), the Secretary shall make an exception in the case of double cropping, as determined by the Secretary.

(d)

Reduction in base acres

(1)

Reduction at option of owner

(A)

In general

The owner of a farm may reduce, at any time, the base acres for any covered commodity or generic base acres for the farm.

(B)

Effect of reduction

A reduction under subparagraph (A) shall be permanent and made in a manner prescribed by the Secretary.

(2)

Required action by Secretary

(A)

In general

The Secretary shall proportionately reduce base acres, including any generic base acres, on a farm for land that has been subdivided and developed for multiple residential units or other nonfarming uses if the size of the tracts and the density of the subdivision is such that the land is unlikely to return to the previous agricultural use, unless the producers on the farm demonstrate that the land—

(i)

remains devoted to commercial agricultural production; or

(ii)

is likely to be returned to the previous agricultural use.

(B)

Requirement

The Secretary shall establish procedures to identify land described in subparagraph (A).

(3)

Treatment of base acres on farms entirely planted to grass or pasture

(A)

In general

January 1, 2009December 31, 2017In the case of a farm on which all of the cropland was planted to grass or pasture (including cropland that was idle or fallow), as determined by the Secretary, during the period beginning on , and ending on , the Secretary shall maintain all base acres and payment yields for the covered commodities on the farm, except that no payment shall be made with respect to those base acres under section 9016 or 9017 of this title for the 2019 through 2031 crop years.

(B)

Ineligibility

section 9015(h) of this titleThe producers on a farm for which all of the base acres are maintained under subparagraph (A) shall be ineligible for the option to change the election applicable to the producers on the farm under .

(4)

Prohibition on reconstitution of farm

The Secretary shall ensure that producers on a farm do not reconstitute the farm to void or change the treatment of base acres under this section.

(e)

Additional base acres

(1)

In general

July 4, 2025As soon as practicable after , and notwithstanding subsection (a), the Secretary shall provide notice to owners of eligible farms pursuant to paragraph (3) and allocate to those eligible farms a total of not more than an additional 30,000,000 base acres in the manner provided in this subsection. An owner of a farm that is eligible to receive an allocation of base acres may elect to not receive that allocation by notifying the Secretary not later than 90 days after receipt of the notice provided by the Secretary under this paragraph.

(2)

Content of notice

The notice under paragraph (1) shall include the following:

(A)

Information that the allocation is occurring.

(B)

Information regarding the eligibility of the farm for an allocation of base acres under paragraph (3).

(C)

Information regarding how an owner may appeal a determination of ineligibility for an allocation of base acres under paragraph (3) through an appeals process established by the Secretary.

(3)

Eligibility

(A)

In general

Subject to subparagraph (D), effective beginning with the 2026 crop year, a farm is eligible to receive an allocation of base acres if, with respect to the farm, the amount described in subparagraph (B) exceeds the amount described in subparagraph (C).

(B)

5-year average sum

The amount described in this subparagraph, with respect to a farm, is the sum of—

(i)

the 5-year average of—

(I)

the acreage planted on the farm to all covered commodities for harvest, grazing, haying, silage or other similar purposes for the 2019 through 2023 crop years; and

(II)

any acreage on the farm that the producers were prevented from planting during the 2019 through 2023 crop years to covered commodities because of drought, flood, or other natural disaster, or other condition beyond the control of the producers, as determined by the Secretary; plus

(ii)

the lesser of—

(I)

15 percent of the total acres on the farm; and

(II)

the 5-year average of—

(aa)

the acreage planted on the farm to eligible noncovered commodities for harvest, grazing, haying, silage, or other similar purposes for the 2019 through 2023 crop years; and

(bb)

any acreage on the farm that the producers were prevented from planting during the 2019 through 2023 crop years to eligible noncovered commodities because of drought, flood, or other natural disaster, or other condition beyond the control of the producers, as determined by the Secretary.

(C)

Total number of base acres for covered commodities

September 30, 2024The amount described in this subparagraph, with respect to a farm, is the total number of base acres for covered commodities on the farm (excluding unassigned crop base), as in effect on .

(D)

Effect of no recent plantings of covered commodities

In the case of a farm for which the amount determined under clause (i) of subparagraph (B) is equal to zero, that farm shall be ineligible to receive an allocation of base acres under this subsection.

(E)

Acreage planted on the farm to eligible noncovered commodities defined

In this paragraph, the term “acreage planted on the farm to eligible noncovered commodities” means acreage planted on a farm to commodities other than covered commodities, trees, bushes, vines, grass, or pasture (including cropland that was idle or fallow), as determined by the Secretary.

(4)

Number of base acres

Subject to paragraphs (3) and (8), the number of base acres allocated to an eligible farm shall—

(A)

be equal to the difference obtained by subtracting the amount determined under subparagraph (C) of paragraph (3) from the amount determined under subparagraph (B) of that paragraph; and

(B)

include unassigned crop base.

(5)

Allocation of acres

(A)

Allocation

The Secretary shall allocate the number of base acres under paragraph (4) among those covered commodities planted on the farm at any time during the 2019 through 2023 crop years.

(B)

Allocation formula

The allocation of additional base acres for covered commodities shall be in proportion to the ratio of—

(i)

the 5-year average of—

(I)

the acreage planted on the farm to each covered commodity for harvest, grazing, haying, silage, or other similar purposes for the 2019 through 2023 crop years; and

(II)

any acreage on the farm that the producers were prevented from planting during the 2019 through 2023 crop years to that covered commodity because of drought, flood, or other natural disaster, or other condition beyond the control of the producers, as determined by the Secretary; to

(ii)

the 5-year average determined under paragraph (3)(B)(i).

(C)

Inclusion of all 5 years in average

For the purpose of determining a 5-year acreage average under subparagraph (B) for a farm, the Secretary shall not exclude any crop year in which a covered commodity was not planted.

(D)

Treatment of multiple planting or prevented planting

For the purpose of determining under subparagraph (B) the acreage on a farm that producers planted or were prevented from planting during the 2019 through 2023 crop years to covered commodities, if the acreage that was planted or prevented from being planted was devoted to another covered commodity in the same crop year (other than a covered commodity produced under an established practice of double cropping), the owner may elect the covered commodity to be used for that crop year in determining the 5-year average, but may not include both the initial covered commodity and the subsequent covered commodity.

(E)

Limitation

The allocation of additional base acres among covered commodities on a farm under this paragraph may not result in a total number of base acres for the farm in excess of the total number of acres on the farm.

(6)

Reduction by the Secretary

In carrying out this subsection, if the total number of eligible acres allocated to base acres across all farms in the United States under this subsection would exceed 30,000,000 acres, the Secretary shall apply an across-the-board, pro-rata reduction to the number of eligible acres to ensure the number of allocated base acres under this subsection is equal to 30,000,000 acres.

(7)

Payment yield

section 9016 of this titleBeginning with crop year 2026, for the purpose of making price loss coverage payments under , the Secretary shall establish payment yields to base acres allocated under this subsection equal to—

(A)

the payment yield established on the farm for the applicable covered commodity; and

(B)

if no such payment yield for the applicable covered commodity exists, a payment yield—

(i)

equal to the average payment yield for the covered commodity for the county in which the farm is situated; or

(ii)

section 9013(c) of this title determined pursuant to .

(8)

Treatment of new owners

July 4, 2025In the case of a farm for which the owner on was not the owner for the 2019 through 2023 crop years, the Secretary shall use the planting history of the prior owner or owners of that farm for purposes of determining—

(A)

eligibility under paragraph (3);

(B)

eligible acres under paragraph (4); and

(C)

the allocation of acres under paragraph (5).

Pub. L. 113–79, title I, § 1112Feb. 7, 2014128 Stat. 661 Pub. L. 115–334, title I, § 1102Dec. 20, 2018132 Stat. 4501 Pub. L. 119–21, title I, § 10302July 4, 2025139 Stat. 86(, , ; , , ; , , .)

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Pub. L. 99–198Dec. 23, 198599 Stat. 1354 section 1281 of this titleThe Food Security Act of 1985, referred to in subsec. (c)(2)(A)(i), is , , . Subchapter B of chapter 1 of subtitle D of title XII of the Act is classified generally to subpart B (§ 3831 et seq.) of part I of subchapter IV of chapter 58 of Title 16, Conservation. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title of 1985 Amendment note set out under and Tables.

Codification

Pub. L. 113–79 section 102(c)(1) of Pub. L. 118–22 section 9001 of this titleProvisions of law applicable to a covered commodity for the 2023 crop year pursuant to title I of applicable to the 2024 crop year for that covered commodity, see , set out in an Extension of Agricultural Programs note under .

Amendments

Pub. L. 119–21, § 10302(1)2025—Subsec. (d)(3)(A). , substituted “2031” for “2023”.

Pub. L. 119–21, § 10302(2)Subsec. (e). , added subsec. (e).

Pub. L. 115–334, § 1102(a)16 U.S.C. 38302018—Subsec. (c)(2)(A). , added subpar. (A) and struck out former subpar. (A) which read as follows: “Any acreage on the farm enrolled in the conservation reserve program or wetlands reserve program (or successor programs) under chapter 1 of subtitle D of title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985 ( et seq.).”

Pub. L. 115–334, § 1102(b)Subsec. (d)(3), (4). , added pars. (3) and (4).