§ 1308-1. Notification of interests; payments limited to active farmers

(a) Notification of interests

To facilitate administration of section 1308 of this title and this section, each person or legal entity receiving payments described in subsections (b) and (c) of section 1308 of this title as a separate person or legal entity shall separately provide to the Secretary, at such times and in such manner as prescribed by the Secretary—

(1) the name and social security number of each person, or the name and taxpayer identification number of each legal entity, that holds or acquires an ownership interest in the separate person or legal entity; and

(2) the name and taxpayer identification number of each legal entity in which the person or legal entity holds an ownership interest.

(b) Actively engaged

(1) In general

To be eligible to receive a payment described in subsection (b) or (c) of section 1308 of this title, a person or legal entity shall be actively engaged in farming with respect to a farming operation as provided in this subsection or subsection (c).

(2) Classes actively engaged

Except as provided in subsections (c) and (d)—

(A) a person (including a person participating in a farming operation as a partner in a general partnership, a participant in a joint venture, a grantor of a revocable trust, or a participant in a similar entity, as determined by the Secretary) shall be considered to be actively engaged in farming with respect to a farming operation if—

(i) the person makes a significant contribution (based on the total value of the farming operation) to the farming operation of—

(I) capital, equipment, or land; and

(II) personal labor or active personal management;

(ii) the person’s share of the profits or losses from the farming operation is commensurate with the contributions of the person to the farming operation; and

(iii) the contributions of the person are at risk;

(B) a legal entity that is a corporation, joint stock company, association, limited partnership, charitable organization, or other similar entity determined by the Secretary (including any such legal entity participating in the farming operation as a partner in a general partnership, a participant in a joint venture, a grantor of a revocable trust, or as a participant in a similar legal entity as determined by the Secretary) shall be considered as actively engaged in farming with respect to a farming operation if—

(i) the legal entity separately makes a significant contribution (based on the total value of the farming operation) of capital, equipment, or land;

(ii) the stockholders or members collectively make a significant contribution of personal labor or active personal management to the operation; and

(iii) the standards provided in clauses (ii) and (iii) of subparagraph (A), as applied to the legal entity, are met by the legal entity;

(C) if a legal entity that is a general partnership, joint venture, or similar entity, as determined by the Secretary, separately makes a significant contribution (based on the total value of the farming operation involved) of capital, equipment, or land, and the standards provided in clauses (ii) and (iii) of subparagraph (A), as applied to the legal entity, are met by the legal entity, the partners or members making a significant contribution of personal labor or active personal management shall be considered to be actively engaged in farming with respect to the farming operation involved; and

(D) in making determinations under this subsection regarding equipment and personal labor, the Secretary shall take into consideration the equipment and personal labor normally and customarily provided by farm operators in the area involved to produce program crops.

(1) Landowner

A person or legal entity that is a landowner contributing the owned land to a farming operation shall be considered to be actively engaged in farming with respect to the farming operation if—

(A) the landowner receives rent or income for the use of the land based on the production on the land or the operating results of the operation; and

(B) the person or legal entity meets the standards provided in clauses (ii) and (iii) of subsection (b)(2)(A).

(2) Adult family member

If a majority of the participants in a farming operation are family members, an adult family member shall be considered to be actively engaged in farming with respect to the farming operation if the person—

(A) makes a significant contribution, based on the total value of the farming operation, of active personal management or personal labor; and

(B) with respect to such contribution, meets the standards provided in clauses (ii) and (iii) of subsection (b)(2)(A).

(3) Sharecropper

A sharecropper who makes a significant contribution of personal labor to a farming operation shall be considered to be actively engaged in farming with respect to the farming operation if the contribution meets the standards provided in clauses (ii) and (iii) of subsection (b)(2)(A).

(4) Growers of hybrid seed

In determining whether a person or legal entity growing hybrid seed under contract shall be considered to be actively engaged in farming, the Secretary shall not take into consideration the existence of a hybrid seed contract.

(5) Custom farming services

(A) In general

A person or legal entity receiving custom farming services shall be considered separately eligible for payment limitation purposes if the person or legal entity is actively engaged in farming based on subsection (b)(2) or paragraphs (1) through (4) of this subsection.

(B) Prohibition

No other rules with respect to custom farming shall apply.

(6) Spouse

If 1 spouse (or estate of a deceased spouse) is determined to be actively engaged, the other spouse shall be determined to have met the requirements of subsection (b)(2)(A)(i)(II).

(d) Classes not actively engaged

(1) Cash rent landlord

A landlord contributing land to a farming operation shall not be considered to be actively engaged in farming with respect to the farming operation if the landlord receives cash rent, or a crop share guaranteed as to the amount of the commodity to be paid in rent, for the use of the land.

(2) Other persons and legal entities

Any other person or legal entity that the Secretary determines does not meet the standards described in subsections (b)(2) and (c) shall not be considered to be actively engaged in farming with respect to a farming operation.

U.S. Code

§ 1308-1. Notification of interests; payments limited to active farmers