§ 2266. — Congressional reaffirmation of policy to foster and encourage family farms.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 7USC2266]
TITLE 7--AGRICULTURE
CHAPTER 55--DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Sec. 2266. Congressional reaffirmation of policy to foster and
encourage family farms
(a) Congress reaffirms the historical policy of the United States to
foster and encourage the family farm system of agriculture in this
country. Congress believes that the maintenance of the family farm
system of agriculture is essential to the social well-being of the
Nation and the competitive production of adequate supplies of food and
fiber. Congress further believes that any significant expansion of
nonfamily owned large-scale corporate farming enterprises will be
detrimental to the national welfare. It is neither the policy nor the
intent of Congress that agricultural and agriculture-related programs be
administered exclusively for family farm operations, but it is the
policy and the express intent of Congress that no such program be
administered in a manner that will place the family farm operation at an
unfair economic disadvantage.
(b) Omitted
(Pub. L. 95-113, title I, Sec. 102, Sept. 29, 1977, 91 Stat. 918; Pub.
L. 97-98, title XVI, Sec. 1608, Dec. 22, 1981, 95 Stat. 1347; Pub. L.
99-198, title XIV, Sec. 1441, Dec. 23, 1985, 99 Stat. 1560.)
Codification
Subsection (b), which required the Secretary of Agriculture to
submit an annual report to Congress on trends in family farm operations
and comprehensive national and State-by-State data on nonfamily farm
operations in the United States, terminated, effective May 15, 2000,
pursuant to section 3003 of Pub. L. 104-66, as amended, set out as a
note under section 1113 of Title 31, Money and Finance. See, also, page
44 of House Document No. 103-7.
Amendments
1985--Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 99-198 designated first and second
sentences as pars. (1) and (2), respectively, and amended par. (2), as
so designated, generally. Prior to redesignation and amendment, second
sentence read as follows: ``The Secretary shall also include in each
such report (1) information on how existing agricultural and
agriculture-related programs are being administered to enhance and
strengthen the family farm system of agriculture in the United States,
(2) an assessment of how tax, credit, and other Federal laws may
encourage the growth of nonfamily farm operations and investment in
agriculture by nonfamily farm interests, both foreign and domestic, and
(3) such other information as the Secretary deems appropriate or
determines would aid Congress in protecting, preserving, and
strengthening the family farm system of agriculture in the United
States.''
1981--Pub. L. 97-98 substantially reenacted existing provisions, and
inserted reference to tax and credit laws, and investment in agriculture
by nonfamily farm interests, foreign and domestic.
Effective Date of 1981 Amendment
Amendment by Pub. L. 97-98 effective Dec. 22, 1981, see section 1801
of Pub. L. 97-98, set out as an Effective Date note under section 4301
of this title.
Effective Date
Section effective Oct. 1, 1977, see section 1901 of Pub. L. 95-113,
set out as an Effective Date of 1977 Amendment note under section 1307
of this title.
Study of Impact of Prohibitions on Payments to Certain Corporations
Under Wheat, Feed Grains, Cotton, and Rice Programs; Report by January
1, 1979
Section 103 of Pub. L. 95-113 provided that in furtherance of the
policy stated in section 102 of this Act [this section], the Secretary
of Agriculture was to conduct a study and report to Congress no later
than January 1, 1979, on the impact on participation in the wheat, feed
grain, cotton, and rice programs and the production of such commodities
in carrying out a statutory provision such as that included in the Food
and Agriculture Act of 1977, as passed by the Senate on May 24, 1977
[see Short Title of 1977 Amendment note set out under section 1281 of
this title], prohibiting the making of payments to certain corporations
and other entities under such programs, which study was to assess the
impact of extending the prohibition against making commodity program
payments to tenants on land owned by such corporations and other
entities which would be excluded from payments under such a provision,
and was to utilize the information on commodity program payments
compiled by the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service in
determining payment eligibility under section 101 of the Agricultural
Act of 1970, as amended [section 1307 of this title], and section 101 of
this Act [section 1308 of this title]. The Secretary was authorized to
collect such other information as necessary to determine the impact of
such a statutory provision and to identify the number and
characteristics of producers that would be affected by such a provision.
Section Referred to in Other Sections
This section is referred to in section 1961 of this title.
