(a) This subpart establishes general conditions for this subpart and subparts B through E of this part and applies only to those subparts. Subparts B through E cover the following programs authorized by the Agricultural Act of 2014 (Pub. L. 113-79, also referred to as the 2014 Farm Bill):

(1) Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP);

(2) Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP);

(3) Livestock Indemnity Payments Program (LIP); and

(4) Tree Assistance Program (TAP).

(b) To be eligible for payments under these programs, participants must comply with all provisions under this subpart and the relevant particular subpart for that program. All other provisions of law also apply.

(a) The programs in subparts B through E of this part is administered under the general supervision and direction of the Administrator, Farm Service Agency (FSA) (who also serves as the Executive Vice-President, CCC), and the Deputy Administrator for Farm Programs, FSA (referred to as the “Deputy Administrator” in this part).

(b) FSA representatives do not have authority to modify or waive any of the provisions of the regulations of this part as amended or supplemented, except as specified in paragraph (e) of this section.

(c) The State FSA committee will take any action required by the regulations of this part that the county FSA committee has not taken. The State FSA committee will also:

(1) Correct, or require a county FSA committee to correct, any action taken by such county FSA committee that is not in accordance with the regulations of this part or

(2) Require a county FSA committee to withhold taking any action that is not in accordance with this part.

(d) No provision or delegation to a State or county FSA committee will preclude the FSA Administrator, the Deputy Administrator, or a designee or other such person, from determining any question arising under the programs of this part, or from reversing or modifying any determination made by a State or county FSA committee.

(e) The Deputy Administrator may authorize State and county FSA committees to waive or modify non-statutory deadlines, or other program requirements of this part in cases where lateness or failure to meet such requirements does not adversely affect operation of the programs in this part. Participants have no right to an exception under this provision. The Deputy Administrator's refusal to consider cases or circumstances or decision not to exercise this discretionary authority under this provision will not be considered an adverse decision and is not appealable.

(f) Payments issued under this part are subject to the availability of funds under Federal law. Within whatever funding limitation that may exist under law, the only funds that will be considered available to pay eligible losses will be that amount approved by the Secretary. If funds are limited, for a particular program year, payments may be delayed until the time for applying for the payment for that program year has passed. In the event that, within the limits of the funding made available by the Secretary, approval of eligible applications would result in expenditures in excess of the amount available, FSA will prorate the available funds by a national factor to reduce the total expected payments to the amount made available by the Secretary. FSA will make payments based on the factor for the national rate determined by FSA. FSA will prorate the payments in such manner as it determines necessary and appropriate and reasonable. Applications for payment that are unpaid or prorated for a program year for any reason will not be carried forward for payment under other funds for later years or otherwise, but will be considered, as to any unpaid amount, void and nonpayable.

(a) Eligible producer means, in addition to other requirements as may apply, an individual or legal entity who is an owner, operator, landlord, tenant, or sharecropper, who shares in the risk of producing a crop or livestock and who is entitled to share in the crop or livestock available for marketing from the farm, or would have shared had the crop or livestock been produced, and who also meets the requirements of paragraph (b) of this section. The term eligible producer can include a livestock owner or contract grower who satisfies other requirements of this part.

(b) An individual or legal entity seeking to be an eligible producer under this part must submit a farm operating plan in accordance with part 1400 of this chapter and be a:

(1) Citizen of the United States;

(2) Resident alien; for purposes of this part, resident alien means “lawful alien”;

(3) Partnership of citizens of the United States;

(4) Corporation, limited liability company, or other organizational structure organized under State law; or

(5) Indian Tribe or Tribal organization, as defined in section 4(b) of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).

(a) For 2019 and each subsequent program year, a person, legal entity, or member of a joint venture or general partnership, as determined in part 1400 of this chapter, cannot receive, directly or indirectly, more than $125,000 per program year under LFP.

(b) The Deputy Administrator may take such actions as needed to avoid a duplication of benefits under the programs provided for in this part, or duplication of benefits received in other programs, and may impose such cross-program payment limitations as may be consistent with the intent of this part in order to help prevent a person or legal entity being paid more than the total value of their loss.

(c) For the purposes of administering LIP, LFP, ELAP, and TAP, the average adjusted gross income (AGI) limitation provisions in part 1400 of this chapter relating to limits on payments for persons or legal entities, excluding joint ventures and general partnerships, apply under this subpart and will apply to each applicant for ELAP, LFP, LIP, and TAP. Specifically, a person or legal entity with an AGI that exceeds $900,000 will not be eligible to receive benefits under this part.

(d) The direct attribution provisions in part 1400 of this chapter apply to ELAP, LFP, LIP, and TAP.

(a) A person or legal entity who is determined to have misrepresented any fact affecting a program determination made in accordance with this part, or any other part that is applicable to this part, to receive benefits for which that person or legal entity would not otherwise be entitled, is ineligible for program payments under this part and must refund all such payments received, plus interest as determined in accordance with part 1403 of this chapter. The person or legal entity is ineligible and will be denied program benefits under this part for the immediately subsequent period of at least 2 crop years, and up to 5 crop years. Interest will run from the date of the original disbursement by CCC.

(b) For each year of ineligibility determined according to paragraph (a) of this section, a person or legal entity will refund to CCC all program payments, in accordance with § 1416.11, received by such person or legal entity with respect to all applications under this part, as may be applicable, if the person or legal entity is determined to have knowingly misrepresented any fact affecting a program determination

Appeal regulations in parts 11 and 780 of this title apply to this part.

(a) Any payment under this part will be made without regard to questions of title under State law, and without regard to any claim or lien against the commodity, or proceeds, in favor of the owner or any other creditor except agencies of the U.S. Government. The regulations governing offsets and withholdings in part 1403 of this chapter apply to payments made under this part.

(b) A participant may assign any payment(s) under this part in accordance with regulations governing the assignment of payments in part 1404 of this chapter.

(a) Any participant receiving payments under any program in ELAP, LFP, LIP or TAP, or any other legal entity or person who provides information for the purposes of enabling a participant to receive a payment under ELAP, LFP, LIP, or TAP must:

(1) Maintain any books, records, and accounts supporting the information for 3 years following the end of the year during which the request for payment was submitted, and

(2) Allow authorized representatives of USDA and the Government Accountability Office, during regular business hours, to inspect, examine, and make copies of such books or records, and to enter the farm and to inspect and verify all applicable livestock and acreage in which the participant has an interest for the purpose of confirming the accuracy of information provided by or for the participant.

(b) [Reserved]

(a) In the event that the participant fails to comply with any term, requirement, or condition for payment or assistance arising under ELAP, LFP, LIP, or TAP and if any refund of a payment to CCC will otherwise become due in connection with this part, the participant must refund to CCC all payments made in regard to such matter, together with interest and late-payment charges as provided for in part 1403 of this chapter provided that interest will in all cases run from the date of the original disbursement.

(b) All persons with a financial interest in an operation or in an application for payment will be jointly and severally liable for any refund, including related charges, that is determined to be due CCC for any reason under this part.

A minor child is eligible to apply for program benefits under ELAP, LFP, LIP, or TAP if all the eligibility requirements are met and the provision for minor children in part 1400 of this chapter are met.

(a) The provisions of part 707 of this chapter apply to the programs of this part.

(b) [Reserved].

(a) As a condition of payment eligibility under ELAP, LFP, LIP, or TAP, a participant must have been in compliance with the applicable provisions of parts 12 and 718 of this title and 1400 of this chapter, and must not otherwise be precluded from receiving payments under those provisions or under any law.

(b) In order to be eligible for benefits, participants in the programs specified in this part must submit an accurate acreage report annually as required by these provisions.