Bill > HR1932

This bill, the Farm Program Integrity Act of 2013, aims to strengthen rules regarding payment limitations for commodity payments and benefits received by farmers. It amends the Food Security Act of 1985 to establish a total payment limit of $125,000 per person or legal entity for covered commodities and peanuts, with specific sub-limits for marketing loan gains and loan deficiency payments ($75,000) and other payments ($50,000). The bill also includes provisions for "spousal equity," allowing married couples to jointly receive up to twice the applicable dollar amounts if they are both covered by the payment limitations, with exceptions for separate farming operations or if they elect to receive payments separately. Furthermore, it clarifies the definition of a "legal entity" to include various organizational structures and specifies that general partnerships and joint ventures are not considered legal entities for these purposes. The bill also introduces changes to ensure payments are limited to "active farmers," refining criteria for what constitutes active personal labor or management and adding provisions for farm managers to qualify under certain conditions, all of which are intended to prevent the avoidance of payment limitations and ensure that benefits go to those actively involved in farming operations. These changes are set to apply beginning with the 2014 crop year.