H.R. 5551

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5551 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 5551

To amend the Agricultural Act of 2014 to require a one-time update of 
base acres for covered commodities to ensure base acres reflect recent 
planting history, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

September 23, 2025

Mr. Johnson of South Dakota (for himself and Ms. Budzinski) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To amend the Agricultural Act of 2014 to require a one-time update of 
base acres for covered commodities to ensure base acres reflect recent 
planting history, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Balanced Agricultural Support and 
Efficiency Act''.

SEC. 2. MANDATORY BASE ACRES.

(a) Definitions.--Section 1111 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 
U.S.C. 9011) is amended--
(1) by striking paragraph (4) and inserting the following:
``(4) Base acres.--The term `base acres', with respect to a 
covered commodity on a farm, means the number of acres 
determined for a farm under section 1112.'';
(2) by striking paragraph (10); and
(3) by redesignating paragraphs (11) through (26) as 
paragraphs (10) through (25), respectively.
(b) Base Acres.--Section 1112 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 
U.S.C. 9012) is amended--
(1) by striking subsection (a) and inserting the following:
``(a) Mandatory One-Time Update of Base Acres.--
``(1) In general.--As soon as practicable after the date of 
enactment of the Balanced Agricultural Support and Efficiency 
Act, the Secretary shall update the base acres on a farm, as in 
effect under this title on the day before the date of enactment 
of that Act, for the 2025 crop year in accordance with this 
section.
``(2) Mandatory update.--For the purpose of applying this 
title to covered commodities, the Secretary shall determine the 
base acres on a farm by updating all of the base acres for 
covered commodities on the farm among those covered commodities 
planted on the farm at any time during the 2020 through 2024 
crop years.
``(3) Update formula.--The updated base acres among covered 
commodities on a farm shall be the proportion that--
``(A) the 5-year average of--
``(i) the acreage planted on the farm to 
each covered commodity for harvest, grazing, 
haying, silage, or other similar purposes for 
the 2020 through 2024 crop years; and
``(ii) any acreage on the farm that the 
producers were prevented from planting during 
the 2020 through 2024 crop years to that 
covered commodity because of drought, flood, or 
other natural disaster, or other condition 
beyond the control of the producers, as 
determined by the Secretary; bears to
``(B) the 5-year average of--
``(i) the acreage planted on the farm to 
all covered commodities for harvest, grazing, 
haying, silage, or other similar purposes for 
the 2020 through 2024 crop years; and
``(ii) any acreage on the farm that the 
producers were prevented from planting during 
the 2020 through 2024 crop years to covered 
commodities because of drought, flood, or other 
natural disaster, or other condition beyond the 
control of the producers, as determined by the 
Secretary.
``(4) Inclusion of all 5 years in average.--For the purpose 
of determining a 5-year acreage average under paragraph (3) for 
a farm, the Secretary shall not exclude any crop year in which 
a covered commodity was not planted.
``(5) Treatment of multiple planting or prevented 
planting.--For the purpose of determining under paragraph (3) 
the acreage on a farm that producers planted or were prevented 
from planting during the 2020 through 2024 crop years to 
covered commodities, if the acreage that was planted or 
prevented from being planted was devoted to another covered 
commodity in the same crop year (other than a covered commodity 
produced under an established practice of double cropping), the 
owner--
``(A) may elect the commodity to be used for that 
crop year in determining the 5-year average; but
``(B) may not include both the initial commodity 
and the subsequent commodity.'';
(2) in subsection (b)(1), in the matter preceding 
subparagraph (A), by striking ``Notwithstanding the election'' 
and all that follows through ``circumstances occur:'' and 
inserting the following: ``Notwithstanding subsection (a), the 
Secretary shall provide for an adjustment, as appropriate, in 
the base acres for covered commodities for a farm whenever any 
of the following circumstances occur:'';
(3) in subsection (c)--
(A) in paragraph (1)--
(i) by striking ``the election made 
under'';
(ii) by striking ``, including generic base 
acres'' each place it appears; and
(iii) by striking ``or generic base 
acres''; and
(B) in paragraph (3), by striking ``or generic base 
acres''; and
(4) in subsection (d)--
(A) in paragraph (1)(A), by striking ``or generic 
base acres''; and
(B) in paragraph (2)(A), in the matter preceding 
clause (i), by striking ``, including any generic base 
acres,''.
(c) Conforming Amendments.--
(1) Payment yields.--Section 1113(c)(1) of the Agricultural 
Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 9013(c)(l)) is amended by striking 
``established or that is planted on generic base acres,'' and 
inserting ``established,''.
(2) Payment acres.--Section 1114 of the Agricultural Act of 
2014 (7 U.S.C. 9014) is amended--
(A) in subsection (a)--
(i) in paragraph (1), by striking 
``subsection (e)'' and inserting ``subsection 
(d)''; and
(ii) in paragraph (2), by striking 
``subsection (e)'' and inserting ``subsection 
(d)'';
(B) by striking subsections (b) and (f); and
(C) by redesignating subsections (c), (d), and (e) 
as subsections (b), (c), and (d), respectively.
(3) Price loss coverage.--Section 1116(g) of the 
Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 9016(g)) is amended, in the 
matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking ``(19)'' and 
inserting ``(18)''.
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