The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“TEXT OF AMENDMENTS” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Labor was published in the Senate section on pages S15034-S15036 on Dec. 7, 2007.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
TEXT OF AMENDMENTS
SA 3819. Mr. BROWN (for himself, Mr. Sununu, Mrs. McCaskill, Mr. McCain, Mr. Durbin, and Mr. Schumer) proposed an amendment to amendment SA 3500 proposed by Mr. Harkin (for himself, Mr. Chambliss, Mr. Baucus, and Mr. Grassley) to the bill H.R. 2419, to provide for the continuation of agricultural programs through fiscal year 2012, and for other purposes; as follows:
On page 272, between lines 2 and 3, insert the following:
SEC. 19__. ENTERPRISE AND WHOLE FARM UNITS.
Section 508(e) of Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1508(e)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(6) Enterprise and whole farm units.--
``(A) In general.--The Corporation may carry out a pilot program under which the Corporation pays a portion of the premiums for plans or policies of insurance for which the insurable unit is defined on a whole farm or enterprise unit basis that is higher than would otherwise be paid in accordance with paragraph (2) for policyholders that convert from a plan or policy of insurance for which the insurable unit is defined on optional or basic unit basis.
``(B) Eligibility.--To be eligible to participate in a pilot program established under this paragraph, a policyholder shall--
``(i) have purchased additional coverage for the 2005 crop year on an optional or basic unit basis for at least 90 percent of the acreage to be covered by enterprise or whole farm unit policy for the current crop; and
``(ii) purchase the enterprise or whole farm unit policy at not less than the highest coverage level that was purchased for the acreage for the 2005 crop year.
``(C) Amount.--
``(i) In general.--The amount of premium per acre paid by the Corporation to a policyholder for a policy with an enterprise or whole farm unit under this paragraph shall be, to the maximum extent practicable, equal to the average dollar amount of subsidy per acre paid by the Corporation under paragraph (2) for a basic or optional unit.
``(ii) Limitation.--The amount of the premium paid by the Corporation under this paragraph may not exceed the total premium for the enterprise or whole farm unit policy.
``(D) Conversion of pilot to a permanent program.--Not earlier than 180 days after the date of enactment of this paragraph, the Corporation may convert the pilot program described in this paragraph to a permanent program if the Corporation has--
``(i) carried out the pilot program;
``(ii) analyzed the results of the pilot program; and
``(iii) submitted to Congress a report describing the results of the analysis.''.
On page 272, after line 24, insert the following:
SEC. 19__. SHARE OF RISK.
Section 508(k) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1508(k)) is amended by striking paragraph (3) and inserting the following:
``(3) Share of risk.--The reinsurance agreements of the Corporation with the reinsured companies shall require the cumulative underwriting gain or loss, and the associated premium and losses with such amount, calculated under any reinsurance agreement (except livestock) ceded to the Corporation by each approved insurance provider to be not less than 15 percent.''.
On page 273, strike lines 9 through 19 and insert the following:
``(E) Reimbursement rate reduction.--For each of the 2009 and subsequent reinsurance years, the reimbursement rate for administrative and operating costs for all crop insurance policies used to define loss ratio shall be the lesser of--
``(i) 2 percentage points below the rates in effect as of the date of enactment of the Food and Energy Security Act of 2007, except that this clause shall not apply in a reinsurance year to the total premium written in a State in which the loss ratio is greater than 1.2; or
``(ii) the national average reimbursement dollar amount per policy for all buy-up policies during each of the 2004 through 2006 reinsurance years, except that this clause shall not apply--
``(I) in a reinsurance year to the total premium written in a State in which the loss ratio is greater than 1.2; and
``(II) in a State is underserved by the Federal crop insurance program, as determined by the Corporation.''.
Beginning on page 274, strike line 3 and all that follows through page 275, line 14, and insert the following:
SEC. 1912. RENEGOTIATION OF STANDARD REINSURANCE AGREEMENT.
Section 508(k) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1508(k)) (as amended by section __) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(8) Renegotiation of standard reinsurance agreement.--
``(A) In general.--Notwithstanding section 536 of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 1506 note; Public Law 105-185) and section 148 of the Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000 (7 U.S.C. 1506 note; Public Law 106-224), the Corporation may renegotiate the financial terms and conditions of each Standard Reinsurance Agreement--
``(i) following the reinsurance year ending June 30, 2010;
``(ii) once during each period of 3 reinsurance years thereafter; and
``(iii) subject to subparagraph (B), in any case in which the approved insurance providers, as a whole, experience unexpected adverse circumstances, as determined by the Secretary.
``(B) Notification requirement.--If the Corporation renegotiates a Standard Reinsurance Agreement under subparagraph (A)(iii), the Corporation shall notify the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate of the renegotiation.''.
On page 292, strike lines 8 through 11 and insert the following:
(2) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following:
``(2) Contracting, data mining, and comprehensive information management system.--Of the amounts made available from the insurance fund established under section 516(c), the Corporation may use not more than $12,000,000 for fiscal year 2008 and each subsequent fiscal year to carry out, in addition to other available funds--
``(A) contracting and partnerships under subsections (c) and (d);
``(B) data mining and data warehousing under section 515(j)(2);
``(C) the comprehensive information management system under section 10706 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8002);
``(D) compliance activities, including costs for additional personnel; and
``(E) development, modernization, and enhancement of the information technology systems used to manage and deliver the crop insurance program.''; and
On page 445, line 20, strike ``$97,000,000'' and insert
``$107,000,000''.
On page 445, line 24, strike ``$240,000,000'' and inert
``$290,000,000''.
On page 446, line 4, strike ``$1,270,000,000'' and insert
``$1,300,000,000''.
On page 446, line 6, strike ``$1,300,000,000'' and adding
``$1,330,000,000''.
On page 552, strike lines 3 through 6 and insert the following:
(5) in subsection (l)(1), by striking ``for fiscal year 2003'' and inserting ``for each of fiscal years 2009 and 2010''.
Beginning on page 566, strike line 1 and all that follows through page 567, line 21, and insert the following:
SEC. 4102. STRENGTHENING THE FOOD PURCHASING POWER OF LOW-
INCOME AMERICANS.
Section 5(e)(1) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2007 (7 U.S.C. 2014(e)(1)) is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (A)(ii), by striking ``not less than
$134'' and all that follows through the end of the clause and inserting the following: ``not less than--
``(I) for fiscal year 2008, $141, $241, $199, and $124, respectively;
``(II) for each of fiscal years 2009 through 2012, an amount that is equal to the amount from the previous fiscal year adjusted to the nearest lower dollar increment to reflect changes for the 12-month period ending on the preceding June 30 in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Department of Labor, for items other than food;
``(III) for fiscal year 2013, $134, $229, $189, and $118, respectively; and
``(IV) for fiscal year 2014 and each fiscal year thereafter, an amount that is equal to the amount from the previous fiscal year adjusted to the nearest lower dollar increment to reflect changes for the 12-month period ending on the preceding June 30 in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Department of Labor, for items other than food.'';
(2) in subparagraph (B)(ii), by striking ``not less than
$269.'' and inserting the following: ``not less than--
``(I) for fiscal year 2008, $283;
``(II) for each of fiscal years 2009 through 2012, an amount that is equal to the amount from the previous fiscal year adjusted to the nearest lower dollar increment to reflect changes for the 12-month period ending on the preceding June 30 in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Department of Labor, for items other than food;
``(III) for fiscal year 2013, $269; and
``(IV) for fiscal year 2014 and each fiscal year thereafter, an amount that is equal to the amount from the previous fiscal year adjusted to the nearest lower dollar increment to reflect changes for the 12-month period ending on the preceding June 30 in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Department of Labor, for items other than food.''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(C) Requirement.--Each adjustment under subclauses (II) and (IV) of subparagraph (A)(ii) and subclauses (II) and (IV) of subparagraph (B)(ii) shall be based on the unrounded amount for the prior 12-month period.''.
On page 692, strike line 12.
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SA 3820. Mr. BAUCUS (for himself and Mr. Crapo) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 3500 proposed by Mr. Harkin (for himself, Mr. Chambliss, Mr. Baucus, and Mr. Grassley) to the bill H.R. 2419, to provide for the continuation of agricultural programs through fiscal year 2012, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
At the appropriate place in title III, insert the following:
SEC. 3__. AGRICULTURAL SUPPLY.
(a) In General.--Section 902(1) of the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7201(1)) is amended--
(1) by striking paragraph (1);
(2) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (1); and
(3) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following:
``(2) Agricultural supply.--The term `agricultural supply' includes--
``(A) agricultural commodities; and
``(B)(i) agriculture-related processing equipment;
``(ii) agriculture-related machinery; and
``(iii) other capital goods related to the storage or handling of agricultural commodities or products.''.
(b) Conforming Amendments.--The Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7201 et seq.) is amended--
(1) by striking ``agricultural commodities'' each place it appears and inserting ``agricultural supplies'';
(2) in section 904(2), by striking ``agricultural commodity'' and inserting ``agricultural supply''; and
(3) in section 910(a), in the subsection heading, by striking ``Agricultural Commodities'' and inserting
``Agricultural Supplies''.
SEC. 3__. CLARIFICATION OF PAYMENT TERMS UNDER TSREEA.
Section 908(b)(1) of the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7207(b)(1)) is amended--
(1) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) and (B) as clauses
(i) and (ii), respectively, and indenting appropriately;
(2) striking ``(1) In general.--No United States person'' and inserting the following:
``(1) Prohibition.--
``(A) In general.--No United States person''; and
(3) in the undesignated matter following clause (ii) (as redesignated by paragraph (1)), by striking ``Nothing in this paragraph'' and inserting the following:
``(B) Definition of payment of cash in advance.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, for purposes of this paragraph, the term `payment of cash in advance' means only that payment must be received by the seller of an agricultural supply to Cuba or any person in Cuba before surrendering physical possession of the agricultural supply.
``(C) Regulations.--The Secretary of the Treasury shall publish in the Federal Register a description of the contents of this section as a clarification of the regulations of the Secretary regarding sales under this title to Cuba.
``(D) Clarification.--Nothing in this paragraph''.
SEC. 3__. REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO CERTAIN TRAVEL-RELATED
TRANSACTIONS WITH CUBA.
Section 910 of the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7208) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(c) General License Authority for Travel-Related Expenditures in Cuba by Persons Engaging in TSREEA-Authorized Sales and Marketing Activities.--
``(1) Definition of sales and marketing activity.--
``(A) In general.--In this subsection, the term `sales and marketing activity' means any activity with respect to travel to, from, or within Cuba that is undertaken by United States persons--
``(i) to explore the market in Cuba for products authorized under this title; or
``(ii) to engage in sales activities with respect to such products.
``(B) Inclusion.--The term `sales and marketing activity' includes exhibiting, negotiating, marketing, surveying the market, and delivering and servicing products authorized under this title.
``(2) Authorization.--The Secretary of the Treasury shall authorize under a general license the travel-related transactions listed in paragraph (c) of section 515.560 of title 31, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on June 1, 2007), for travel to, from, or within Cuba in connection with sales and marketing activities involving products approved for sale under this title.
``(3) Authorized persons.--Persons authorized to travel to Cuba under paragraph (2) shall include--
``(A) producers of products authorized under this title;
``(B) distributors of such products; and
``(C) representatives of trade organizations that promote the interests of producers and distributors of such products.
``(4) Regulations.--The Secretary of the Treasury shall promulgate such rules and regulations as are necessary to carry out this subsection.''.
SEC. 3__. AUTHORIZATION OF DIRECT TRANSFERS BETWEEN CUBAN AND
UNITED STATES FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS.
The Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000 is amended--
(1) by redesignating section 911 (22 U.S.C. 7201 note; Public Law 106-387) as section 912; and
(2) by inserting after section 910 (22 U.S.C. 7209) the following:
``SEC. 911. AUTHORIZATION OF DIRECT TRANSFERS BETWEEN CUBAN
AND UNITED STATES FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS.
``Notwithstanding any other provision of law (including regulations), the President shall not restrict direct transfers from Cuban to United States financial institutions executed in payment for products authorized by this Act.''.
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