Overview
Title
To amend the Federal Crop Insurance Act to promote crop insurance support for beginning farmers and ranchers and veteran farmers and ranchers, and for other purposes.
ELI5 AI
H.R. 2117 is like a helping hand for new and veteran farmers to make sure they have some extra safety when their crops don't grow well. It changes some rules so they can get better crop insurance support for the first 10 years they start farming.
Summary AI
H. R. 2117 seeks to amend the Federal Crop Insurance Act to provide better crop insurance support for beginning and veteran farmers and ranchers. The bill proposes extending the definition period of a beginning farmer or rancher from 5 to 10 crop years. It also increases the percentage points of assistance available to these farmers for their first ten years of participation in crop insurance programs, gradually decreasing from 15 to 10 percentage points over this period. Additionally, the bill removes a specific provision (subparagraph F) from the act.
Published
Keywords AI
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Bill Statistics
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AnalysisAI
Editorial Commentary
The recently introduced Bill, H.R. 2117, aims to modify the Federal Crop Insurance Act. The primary goal of this legislation is to enhance support for beginning farmers and ranchers, as well as veteran farmers and ranchers. This is part of a broader effort to promote agricultural ventures among newcomers and veterans, ensuring they have additional backing in establishing and maintaining their operations.
General Summary of the Bill
This Bill proposes several key changes. It extends the timeframe within which farmers and ranchers are considered "beginning" or "veteran" from the current 5 crop years to 10 crop years. Also, it introduces increased assistance in terms of percentage points over specific reinsurance years, intending to provide more robust support during their early years of insurance participation. A notable procedural change is the removal of a subparagraph from the Federal Crop Insurance Act without an accompanying explanation in the bill.
Summary of Significant Issues
Firstly, the extension from 5 to 10 crop years for defining beginning and veteran farmers might require additional resources, potentially affecting how such financial support is distributed. This extension does not currently come with a detailed rationale, making it appear somewhat arbitrary.
Additionally, the complexity of the language used in the bill, especially concerning the percentage points adjustments, could make it difficult for those not versed in legislative or insurance terminology to fully understand. This includes terms like "reinsurance years," which might need further clarification.
Moreover, the bill introduces differing percentage adjustments without providing reasons for these exact figures. Thus, it opens the door for questions about fairness and evaluation of their actual impact.
Finally, the bill includes the removal of a specific subparagraph of the existing Act, yet fails to provide any context or explanation for this specific legislative alteration, potentially leading to confusion.
Impact on the Public
For the public, the change could mean a greater financial safety net for those entering the farming or ranching business, particularly benefitting groups like veterans and young or new farmers trying to establish themselves. However, the lack of transparency or explanation in some aspects might affect public trust in the legislative process.
Impact on Specific Stakeholders
Positive Impact:
- Beginning and Veteran Farmers: With more extended eligibility and increased support over a decade, they could see a decrease in financial risk which might encourage more people to enter this vital industry.
Negative Impact:
Current Stakeholders: The extended support may divert resources that could be used elsewhere, potentially causing contention among longstanding participants in the agricultural industry who might feel overlooked.
Policy Implementers: Agencies tasked with implementing these changes might face challenges due to the vague language and lack of detailed guidelines, potentially leading to inefficiencies or misinterpretations in policy application.
The bill’s provisions, while potentially beneficial, require clearer articulations of intent and logistics to fully ensure both public understanding and successful implementation.
Issues
The amendment to extend the definition of 'beginning farmer or rancher' and 'veteran farmers and ranchers' from 5 crop years to 10 crop years (Section 2(a) and 2(b)) could require additional financial resources for implementation without a clear justification for the necessity of such an extension, potentially impacting budget allocations and fairness in resource distribution.
The complexity of language used to define percentage points adjustments, especially with the breakdown over multiple reinsurance years (Section 2(c)), may render the bill less accessible to stakeholders who are not familiar with intricate legislative and insurance jargon, raising concerns about transparency and comprehension among the general public.
The section introduces varying percentage point adjustments for assistance over multiple years (Section 2(c)(3)(B)), but fails to provide a rationale for these specific values. This lack of justification might render the values arbitrary and open to criticism or require further elucidation about their intended impact or fairness.
The bill text omits a clear explanation for striking subparagraph (F) from Section 522(c)(7) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (Section 2(d)), which could lead to confusion among stakeholders concerning the implications of this removal. Its absence of context might affect comprehensibility and stakeholder trust.
The use of specific terms like 'reinsurance years' (Section 2(c)) assumes a level of familiarity from the readers that may not be present. Providing definitions or footnotes could enhance clarity and understanding, particularly for those without extensive background in agricultural insurance legislation.
Sections
Sections are presented as they are annotated in the original legislative text. Any missing headers, numbers, or non-consecutive order is due to the original text.
1. Short title Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The first section of the bill states that the official title of the legislation is the “Crop Insurance for Future Farmers Act.”
2. Crop insurance support for beginning farmers and ranchers and veteran farmers and ranchers Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The bill modifies the Federal Crop Insurance Act by extending the definition of beginning and veteran farmers and ranchers from 5 to 10 crop years, increasing the assistance they receive with specific percentage point adjustments for different reinsurance years, and removing a certain subparagraph from section 522.