Senators Want Payment Limit Rules Changes

Twenty-three Senators recently wrote to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack asking him to implement the rules and regulations pertaining to new adjusted gross income and payment limit reforms to accurately reflect Congressional intent,
USAgNet reports.

The lawmakers said that the interim rule, as published on Dec. 29, 2008, strays from Congressional intent and could adversely affect American producers and farm operations throughout the country. The Senators noted that the 2008

Farm Bill’s statutory language did not require or direct USDA to make any changes to the actively-engaged determination for individuals and entities in farming except in the case of a spouse. They said the unnecessary changes cause increased legal questions and confusion on the actively-engaged issue and should be withdrawn or clarified in a timely manner.

The farm bill introduced significant reform to both farm program payment limitations and eligibility rules. The law replaced the three-entity rule with direct attribution of payments and placed hard caps on adjusted gross income from on/off-farm sources.