1. (a) Eligibility All dairy operations in the United States shall be eligible to participate in the margin protection program to receive margin protection payments.

2. (b) Registration process

   1. (1) In general The Secretary shall specify the manner and form by which a participating dairy operation may register to participate in the margin protection program, including the establishment of a date each calendar year by which a dairy operation shall register for the calendar year.
   2. (2) Extension of election period for 2018 calendar year The Secretary shall extend the election period for the 2018 calendar year by not less than 90 days after February 9, 2018, or such additional period as the Secretary determines is necessary for dairy operations to make new elections to participate for that calendar year, including dairy operations that elected to so participate before February 9, 2018.
   3. (3) Treatment of multiproducer dairy operations If a participating dairy operation is operated by more than 1 dairy producer, all of the dairy producers of the participating dairy operation shall be treated as a single dairy operation for purposes of participating in the margin protection program.
   4. (4) Treatment of producers with multiple dairy operations If a dairy producer operates 2 or more dairy operations, each dairy operation of the producer shall separately register to participate in the margin protection program.

3. (c) Annual administrative fee

   1. (1) Administrative fee required Each participating dairy operation shall—

      1. (A) pay an administrative fee to register to participate in the margin protection program; and
      2. (B) pay the administrative fee annually through the duration of the margin protection program specified in section 9059 of this title.
   2. (2) Amount of fee The administrative fee for a participating dairy operation shall be $100.
   3. (3) Use of fees The Secretary shall use administrative fees collected under this subsection to cover administrative costs incurred to carry out the margin protection program.
   4. (4) Exemption A limited resource, beginning, veteran, or socially disadvantaged farmer, as defined by the Secretary, shall be exempt from the administrative fee under this subsection.
4. (d) Relation to livestock gross margin for dairy program A dairy operation may participate in the margin protection program or the livestock gross margin for dairy program under the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1501 et seq.), but not both.

(Pub. L. 113–79, title I, § 1404, Feb. 7, 2014, 128 Stat. 690; Pub. L. 115–123, div. F, § 60101(b)(2), Feb. 9, 2018, 132 Stat. 311.)

References in Text

The Federal Crop Insurance Act, referred to in subsec. (d), is subtitle A of title V of act Feb. 16, 1938, ch. 30, 52 Stat. 72, which is classified generally to subchapter I (§ 1501 et seq.) of chapter 36 of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 1501 of this title and Tables.

Amendments

2018—Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 115–123, § 60101(b)(2)(A)(i), inserted “, including the establishment of a date each calendar year by which a dairy operation shall register for the calendar year” before period at end.

Subsec. (b)(2) to (4). Pub. L. 115–123, § 60101(b)(2)(A)(ii), (iii), added par. (2) and redesignated former pars. (2) and (3) as (3) and (4), respectively.

Subsec. (c)(4). Pub. L. 115–123, § 60101(b)(2)(B), added par. (4).

Effective Date of 2018 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 115–123 applicable beginning with the 2018 calendar year, see section 60101(b)(5) of Pub. L. 115–123, set out as a note under section 9051 of this title.