This part carves out an exception to an income cap on farm aid. The cap does not apply to certain named payments. To use it, at least 75 percent of a person's average gross income must come from farming, ranching, or forestry.
The section adds a new paragraph (4) to section 1001D(b) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 1308-3a(b)) and defines an excepted payment or benefit as a payment or benefit under subtitle E of title I of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 9081 et seq.), a payment or benefit under section 196 of the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 7333), or a payment or benefit described in paragraph (2)(C) received on or after October 1, 2024. Paragraph (1) is also amended to point to the new paragraph.
What the document actually says
“The term `excepted payment or benefit' means--”
That sentence, in plain words
The law gives a new term a meaning. The list that follows says what it covers.
What this is about
Three kinds of payment are named. Two come from older farm laws. The third is a payment made on or after October 1, 2024.
No action is recorded against this proposal. That is not evidence that none has been taken, and nobody has yet read it against the record. See what the tracker does not yet cover.
The document says “means”Who acts: Congress, Secretary of AgricultureHow: statuteSec. 10308 in the PDF
What the document says
“`farming, ranching, or silviculture activities' includes agri-tourism, direct-to-consumer marketing of agricultural products, the sale of agricultural equipment owned by the person or legal entity, and other agriculture-related activities, as determined by the Secretary.”
The section defines farming, ranching, or silviculture activities to include agri-tourism, direct-to-consumer marketing of agricultural products, the sale of agricultural equipment owned by the person or legal entity, and other agriculture-related activities as determined by the Secretary.
What the document actually says
“`farming, ranching, or silviculture activities' includes agri-tourism, direct-to-consumer marketing of agricultural products, the sale of agricultural equipment owned by the person or legal entity, and other agriculture-related activities, as determined by the Secretary.”
That sentence, in plain words
The term covers more than growing crops. It covers farm visits sold to the public. It covers selling farm goods straight to buyers. It covers selling the farm's own gear.
What this is about
Silviculture means growing and caring for trees. The Secretary may add other farm-linked work. That makes the list open ended.
No action is recorded against this proposal. That is not evidence that none has been taken, and nobody has yet read it against the record. See what the tracker does not yet cover.
The document says “shall not”Who acts: Secretary of AgricultureHow: statuteSec. 10308 in the PDF
What the document says
“In the case of an excepted payment or benefit, the limitation established by paragraph (1) shall not apply to a person or legal entity during a crop, fiscal, or program year, as appropriate, if greater than or equal to 75 percent of the average gross income of the person or legal entity derives from farming, ranching, or silviculture activities.”
The section provides that for an excepted payment or benefit the limitation in paragraph (1) does not apply to a person or legal entity in a crop, fiscal or program year if at least 75 percent of that person's or entity's average gross income comes from farming, ranching, or silviculture activities.
What the document actually says
“In the case of an excepted payment or benefit, the limitation established by paragraph (1) shall not apply to a person or legal entity during a crop, fiscal, or program year, as appropriate, if greater than or equal to 75 percent of the average gross income of the person or legal entity derives from farming, ranching, or silviculture activities.”
That sentence, in plain words
The income cap is switched off for the named payments. That holds where 75 percent or more of income comes from farm work.
What this is about
Average gross income is worked out over several years. The test is run for each year. A person who fails it still faces the cap.
No action is recorded against this proposal. That is not evidence that none has been taken, and nobody has yet read it against the record. See what the tracker does not yet cover.
Each distinct thing the section does: the definition of an excepted payment or benefit, the definition of farming, ranching, or silviculture activities, and the exception itself with its 75 percent test.
The change to paragraph (1) that inserts a cross reference to the new paragraph (4) is described in the summary rather than recorded as its own proposal.
The section works by amending section 1001D(b) of the Food Security Act of 1985, which is not indexed here, so what the income cap is and how it is worked out cannot be checked against anything on this site. The payments it names come from the Agricultural Act of 2014 and the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996, neither of which is indexed here.
