§ 1506. General powers

(a) Succession

The Corporation shall have succession in its corporate name.

(b) Corporate seal

The Corporation may adopt, alter, and use a corporate seal, which shall be judicially noticed.

The Corporation may purchase or lease and hold such real and personal property as it deems necessary or convenient in the transaction of its business, and may dispose of such property held by it upon such terms as it deems appropriate.

(d) Suit

Subject to section 1508 (j)(2)(A) of this title, the Corporation, subject to the provisions of section 1508 (j) of this title,^[1] may sue and be sued in its corporate name, but no attachment, injunction, garnishment, or other similar process, mesne or final, shall be issued against the Corporation or its property. The district courts of the United States, including the district courts of the District of Columbia and of any territory or possession, shall have exclusive original jurisdiction, without regard to the amount in controversy, of all suits brought by or against the Corporation. The Corporation may intervene in any court in any suit, action, or proceeding in which it has an interest. Any suit against the Corporation shall be brought in the District of Columbia, or in the district wherein the plaintiff resides or is engaged in business.

(e) Bylaws and regulations

The Corporation may adopt, amend, and repeal bylaws, rules, and regulations governing the manner in which its business may be conducted and the powers granted to it by law may be exercised and enjoyed.

(f) Mails

The Corporation shall be entitled to the use of the United States mails in the same manner as the other executive agencies of the Government.

(g) Assistance

The Corporation, with the consent of any board, commission, independent establishment, or executive department of the Government, including any field service thereof, may avail itself of the use of information, services, facilities, officials, and employees thereof in carrying out the provisions of this subchapter.

(h) Collection and sharing of information

(1) Surveys and investigations

The Corporation may conduct surveys and investigations relating to crop insurance, agriculture-related risks and losses, and other issues related to carrying out this subchapter.

(2) Data collection

The Corporation shall assemble data for the purpose of establishing sound actuarial bases for insurance on agricultural commodities.

(3) Sharing of records

Notwithstanding section 1502 (c) of this title, records submitted in accordance with this subchapter and section 7333 of this title shall be available to agencies and local offices of the Department, appropriate State and Federal agencies and divisions, and approved insurance providers for use in carrying out this subchapter, such section 7333 of this title, and other agricultural programs.

(i) Expenditures

The Corporation shall determine the character and necessity for its expenditures under this subchapter and the manner in which they shall be incurred, allowed, and paid, without regard to the provisions of any other laws governing the expenditure of public funds and such determinations shall be final and conclusive upon all other officers of the Government.

(j) Settling claims

The Corporation shall have the authority to make final and conclusive settlement and adjustment of any claim by or against the Corporation or a fiscal officer of the Corporation.

(k) Other powers

The Corporation shall have such powers as may be necessary or appropriate for the exercise of the powers herein specifically conferred upon the Corporation and all such incidental powers as are customary in corporations generally.

(l) Contracts

The Corporation may enter into and carry out contracts or agreements, and issue regulations, necessary in the conduct of its business, as determined by the Board. State and local laws or rules shall not apply to contracts, agreements, or regulations of the Corporation or the parties thereto to the extent that such contracts, agreements, or regulations provide that such laws or rules shall not apply, or to the extent that such laws or rules are inconsistent with such contracts, agreements, or regulations.

(m) Submission of certain information

(1) Social security account and employer identification numbers

The Corporation shall require, as a condition of eligibility for participation in the multiple peril crop insurance program, submission of social security account numbers, subject to the requirements of section 405 (c)(2)(C)(iii) ^[2] of title 42, and employer identification numbers, subject to the requirements of section 6109 (f) of title 26.

(2) Notification by policyholders

Each policyholder shall notify each individual or other entity that acquires or holds a substantial beneficial interest in such policyholder of the requirements and limitations under this subchapter.

(3) Identification of holders of substantial interests

The Manager of the Corporation may require each policyholder to provide to the Manager, at such times and in such manner as prescribed by the Manager, the name of each individual that holds or acquires a substantial beneficial interest in the policyholder.

(4) “Substantial beneficial interest” defined

For purposes of this subsection, the term “substantial beneficial interest” means not less than 5 percent of all beneficial interests in the policyholder.

(n) Actuarial soundness

(1) Projected loss ratio as of October 1, 1995

The Corporation shall take such actions as are necessary to improve the actuarial soundness of Federal multiperil crop insurance coverage made available under this subchapter to achieve, on and after October 1, 1995, an overall projected loss ratio of not greater than 1.1, including—

(A) instituting appropriate requirements for documentation of the actual production history of insured producers to establish recorded or appraised yields for Federal crop insurance coverage that more accurately reflect the associated actuarial risk, except that the Corporation may not carry out this paragraph in a manner that would prevent beginning farmers (as defined by the Secretary) from obtaining Federal crop insurance;

(B) establishing in counties, to the extent practicable, a crop insurance option based on area yields in a manner that allows an insured producer to qualify for an indemnity if a loss has occurred in a specified area in which the farm of the insured producer is located;

(C) establishing a database that contains the social security account and employee identification numbers of participating producers, agents, and loss adjusters and using the numbers to identify insured producers, agents, and loss adjusters who are high risk for actuarial purposes and insured producers who have not documented at least 4 years of production history, to assess the performance of insurance providers, and for other purposes permitted by law; and

(D) taking any other measures authorized by law to improve the actuarial soundness of the Federal crop insurance program while maintaining fairness and effective coverage for agricultural producers.

(2) Projected loss ratio

The Corporation shall take such actions, including the establishment of adequate premiums, as are necessary to improve the actuarial soundness of Federal multiperil crop insurance made available under this subchapter to achieve an overall projected loss ratio of not greater than 1.0.

(3) Nonstandard classification system

To the extent that the Corporation uses the nonstandard classification system, the Corporation shall apply the system to all insured producers in a fair and consistent manner.

(o) Regulations

The Secretary and the Corporation are each authorized to issue such regulations as are necessary to carry out this subchapter.

(p) Purchase of American-made equipment and products

(1) Sense of Congress

It is the sense of Congress that, to the greatest extent practicable, all equipment and products purchased by the Corporation using funds made available to the Corporation should be American-made.

(2) Notice requirement

In providing financial assistance to, or entering into any contract with, any entity for the purchase of equipment and products to carry out this subchapter, the Corporation, to the greatest extent practicable, shall provide to the entity a notice describing the statement made in paragraph (1).

(r) 3 Procedures for responding to certain inquiries

(1) Procedures required

The Corporation shall establish procedures under which the Corporation will provide a final agency determination in response to an inquiry regarding the interpretation by the Corporation of this subchapter or any regulation issued under this subchapter.

(2) Implementation

Not later than 180 days after June 23, 1998, the Corporation shall issue regulations to implement this subsection. At a minimum, the regulations shall establish—

(A) the manner in which inquiries described in paragraph (1) are required to be submitted to the Corporation; and

(B) a reasonable maximum number of days within which the Corporation will respond to all inquiries.

(3) Effect of failure to timely respond

If the Corporation fails to respond to an inquiry in accordance with the procedures established pursuant to this subsection, the person requesting the interpretation of this subchapter or regulation may assume the interpretation is correct for the applicable reinsurance year.

[1] So in original.

[2] See References in Text note below.

[3] So in original. Probably should be “(q)”.

U.S. Code

§ 1506. General powers