text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``Reliable Farm Safety Net Act''.
  
  SEC. 2. CROP DISASTER ASSISTANCE FOR FUTURE CROP YEARS.
  
      The Federal Crop Insurance Act is amended by inserting after 
  section 518 (7 U.S.C. 1518) the following:
  
  ``SEC. 519. PERMANENT AUTHORITY TO PROVIDE EMERGENCY AGRICULTURAL 
                ASSISTANCE.
  
      ``(a) Definition of Federally Declared Disaster Area.--In this 
  section, the term `federally declared disaster area' means--
              ``(1) a county covered by--
                      ``(A) a Presidential declaration of major disaster 
                  issued under section 401 of the Robert T. Stafford 
                  Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 
                  5170); or
                      ``(B) a declaration by the Secretary of a disaster 
                  area under subpart A of part 1945 of title 7, Code of 
                  Federal Regulations (or successor regulations); and
              ``(2) each county contiguous to a county described in 
          paragraph (1).
      ``(b) Crop Disaster Assistance.--
              ``(1) Authority to provide emergency assistance.--The 
          Secretary shall use the funds of the Commodity Credit 
          Corporation to make emergency financial assistance available to 
          producers on a farm that incur qualifying crop losses for an 
          insurable crop due to damaging weather or related condition, as 
          determined by the Secretary, that results in the designation of 
          the county in which the farm or ranch is located as a federally 
          declared disaster area.
              ``(2) Administration.--Except as provided in paragraphs (3) 
          and (4), the Secretary shall make assistance available under 
          this subsection in the same manner as provided under section 
          815 of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug 
          Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2001 
          (Public Law 106-387; 114 Stat. 1549A-55), including using the 
          same loss thresholds for the quantity and quality losses as 
          were used in administering that section.
              ``(3) Payment rate.--The Secretary shall make assistance 
          available to producers on a farm for a crop under this 
          subsection at a rate equal to 65 percent of the established 
          price for the crop for any deficiency in production of 35 
          percent or more for the crop.
              ``(4) Ineligibility for assistance.--
                      ``(A) In general.--Except as provided in 
                  subparagraph (B), the producers on a farm shall not be 
                  eligible for assistance under this subsection with 
                  respect to losses to an insurable commodity or 
                  noninsurable commodity if the producers on the farm--
                              ``(i) in the case of an insurable 
                          commodity, did not obtain a policy or plan of 
                          insurance for the insurable commodity under 
                          this Act for the crop incurring the losses;
                              ``(ii) in the case of a noninsurable 
                          commodity, did not file the required paperwork, 
                          and pay the administrative fee by the 
                          applicable State filing deadline, for the 
                          noninsurable commodity under section 196 of the 
                          Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act 
                          of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 7333) for the crop incurring 
                          the losses;
                              ``(iii) had adjusted gross incomes, as 
                          defined by section 1001D of the Food Security 
                          Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 1308-3a), of greater than 
                          $2,500,000 in 2003; or
                              ``(iv) were not in compliance with highly 
                          erodible land conservation and wetland 
                          conservation provisions.
                      ``(B) Contract waiver.--The Secretary may waive 
                  subparagraph (A) with respect to the producers on a 
                  farm if the producers enter into a contract with the 
                  Secretary under which the producers agree--
                              ``(i) in the case of an insurable 
                          commodity, to obtain a policy or plan of 
                          insurance under this Act providing additional 
                          coverage for the insurable commodity for each 
                          of the next 2 crops, at a level of coverage 
                          equal to or greater than 60 percent; and
                              ``(ii) in the case of a noninsurable 
                          commodity, to file the required paperwork and 
                          pay the administrative fee by the applicable 
                          State filing deadline, for the noninsurable 
                          commodity for each of the next 2 crops under 
                          section 196 of the Federal Agriculture 
                          Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 
                          7333).
                      ``(C) Effect of violation.--In the event of the 
                  violation of a contract under subparagraph (B) by a 
                  producer, the producer shall reimburse the Secretary 
                  for the full amount of the assistance provided to the 
                  producer under this subsection.
      ``(c) Livestock Assistance Program.--
              ``(1) Emergency financial assistance.--The Secretary shall 
          use such sums as are necessary of funds of the Commodity Credit 
          Corporation to make and administer payments for livestock 
          losses of eligible applicants due to a disaster, as determined 
          by the Secretary.
              ``(2) Eligible applicants.--In carrying out the program 
          described in paragraph (1), the Secretary shall provide 
          assistance to any applicant that--
                      ``(A)(i) conducts a livestock operation that is 
                  located in a federally declared disaster area, 
                  including any applicant conducting a livestock 
                  operation with eligible livestock (within the meaning 
                  of the livestock assistance program under section 
                  101(b) of division B of Public Law 108-324 (118 Stat. 
                  1234)); or
                      ``(ii) produces an animal described in section 
                  10806(a)(1) of the Farm Security and Rural Investment 
                  Act of 2002 (21 U.S.C. 321d(a)(1)); and
                      ``(B) meets all other eligibility requirements 
                  established by the Secretary for the program.
              ``(3) Administration.--The Secretary shall make assistance 
          available under this subsection in the same manner as provided 
          under section 806 of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food 
          and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations 
          Act, 2001 (Public Law 106-387; 114 Stat. 1549A-51).
              ``(4) Mitigation.--In determining the eligibility for or 
          amount of payments for which a producer is eligible under the 
          livestock assistance program, the Secretary shall not penalize 
          a producer that takes actions (recognizing disaster conditions) 
          that reduce the average number of livestock the producer owned 
          for grazing during the production year for which assistance is 
          being provided.
      ``(d) Livestock Indemnity Program.--
              ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall use such sums as are 
          necessary of funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation to carry 
          out a livestock indemnity program for livestock losses of 
          eligible applicants in federally declared disaster areas, as 
          determined by the Secretary.
              ``(2) Administration.--The Secretary shall make assistance 
          available under this subsection in the same manner as provided 
          under section 3012(b) of the Emergency Agricultural Disaster 
          Assistance Act of 2006 (Public Law 109-234; 120 Stat. 476).
              ``(3) Limitation on assistance.--A producer may apply for 
          assistance under this subsection or subsection (c), but not 
          both.
      ``(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
  appropriated such amounts as are necessary to reimburse the Commodity 
  Credit Corporation for funds expended by the Secretary under this 
  section.
      ``(f) Effective Date.--This section applies to the 2007 and 
  subsequent crop years.''.
target: Reliable Farm Safety Net Act - Amends the Federal Crop Insurance Act to establish permanent authority (beginning with crop year 2007) for the Secretary of Agriculture to provide disaster relief to qualifying agricultural producers who incur crop or livestock losses as a result of damaging weather or related condition in federally declared disaster areas.
feat_title: A bill to amend the Federal Crop Insurance Act to establish permanent authority for the Secretary of Agriculture to quickly provide disaster relief to agricultural producers that incur crop or livestock losses as a result of damaging weather or related condition in federally declared disaster areas, and for other purposes.