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The USA Rice Federation provides this web page to keep you advised about farm-bill legislation. We want to facilitate your access to current activities, key developments, and essential documents. We’ll be updating the farm-bill page periodically and hope the information is useful. The 2008 farm-bill has been extended , in general, through September 30, 2012. The legislative language is contained in Title VII of the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (H.R. 8), which President Obama signed on January 2, 2013. The extension authorizes crop programs in the 2008 farm bill’s commodity title (Title I) through the 2013 crop year, which includes extending direct payments, without a reduction in payment rates, for the 2013 crop. The extension makes no changes to crop insurance and it continues the Market Access and Foreign Market Development Programs. To access a summary of key provisions in the extension of the 2008 farm bill, please click here. With regard to the extension of the 2008 Farm Bill for the 2013 crop year, some programs and payments will be reduced as a result of the Budget Control Act of 2011. The Budget Control Act requires sequestration (across the board cuts) to a number of non-exempt programs. Within the USDA budget, these programs include Direct Payments, the Market Access and Foreign Market Development Programs, and a number of the conservation programs. For most of the programs, the reduction will be approximately 5%, but USDA recently announced that the Direct Payment reduction will be not more than 8.5%. The exact percentage will be determined later this year, and before the Direct Payments are scheduled to be paid in October. Part of the reason for the higher percentage reduction to Direct Payments is that other commodity programs like SURE (disaster program) and MILC (dairy program) had already made some payments for the 2013 fiscal year, complicating the ability to make an across the board reduction in the programs. So, more of the commodity program reductions are concentrated in the Direct Payments. If USA Rice can assist in any other way, please contact Reece Langley, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 703-236-1471, Johnny Broussard, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 703-236-1451, or Lauren Echols, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 703-236-1440, at any time. 113th Congress - Senate Passes Its Farm Bill - House Debate Expected Week of June 17 The Senate passed its farm bill, S. 954, the Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2013, on June 10 by a vote of 66-27. Ten of 12 rice-state Senators voted for the bill. House debate on H.R. 1947, the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management (FAARM) Act of 2013, is expected to start the week of June 17. USA Rice Federation has issued a news release about the latest 2013 farm-bill developments. Most recently, on June 11, USA Rice joined with 193 other organizations to send to all House Members a letter of support for the House farm bill and also cosigned a letter with 49 other associations that was sent to House Leaders and Members to express support for crop insurance and opposition to amendments that will limit its effectiveness. 112th Congress USA Rice Federation information about the 112th Congress’ farm-bill proposals can be accessed below. USA Rice Farm-Bill-Resource Materials Farm Policy Task Force: 2012 Farm-Bill Update USA Rice U.S. House Testimony, 112th Congress USA Rice U.S. Senate Testimony, 112th Congress News Links:
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