republic-os/legal/us/code/title-07/chapter-100/section-7331.md

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LegalText	7 U.S.C. § 7331	Options pilot program	us	united_states_code	code_section	7	AGRICULTURE	100	AGRICULTURAL MARKET TRANSITION	7331	7 U.S.C. § 7331	current	119-100	2026-06-26	official	https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc07@119-100.zip	/us/usc/t7/s7331	data/legal/raw/us/code/title-07/usc07.xml	2b1ec847a8fc991e0a8fd312a5d3b81160afe5b9743bb7610fdee00e30ac8e31	50edab1679a711653797362c0aeb8f2273303fe473fb7fa16df1ee76bdd6e984	1d0371cc8d006a73c5ce82d6f87075dbb5889be10d7368e3b3fdf32c44e596f6	2026-07-04	official	legal us-code

7 U.S.C. § 7331 - Options pilot program

Text

(a) Pilot programs authorized Until December 31, 2002, the Secretary of Agriculture may conduct a pilot program for 1 or more agricultural commodities supported under this chapter to ascertain whether futures and options contracts can provide producers with reasonable protection from the financial risks of fluctuations in price, yield, and income inherent in the production and marketing of the commodities. The pilot program shall be an alternative to other related programs of the Department of Agriculture.

(b) Distribution of pilot program For each agricultural commodity included in the pilot program, the Secretary may operate the pilot program in not more than 300 counties, except that not more than 25 of the counties may be located in any 1 State. The pilot program for a commodity shall not be operated in any county for more than 3 of the 1996 through 2002 calendar years.

(c) Eligible participants In operating the pilot program, the Secretary may enter into contract with a producer who—

(1) is eligible for a production flexibility contract, a marketing assistance loan, or other assistance under this chapter;

(2) volunteers to participate in the pilot program during any calendar year in which a county in which the farm of the producer is located is included in the pilot program;

(3) operates a farm located in a county selected for the pilot program; and

(4) meets such other eligibility requirements as the Secretary may establish.

(d) Notice to producers The Secretary shall provide notice to each producer participating in the pilot program that—

(1) the participation of the producer is voluntary; and

(2) neither the United States, the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation, the Department of Agriculture, nor any other Federal agency is authorized to guarantee that participants in the pilot program will be better or worse off financially as a result of participation in the pilot program than the producer would have been if the producer had not participated in the pilot program.

(e) Contracts The Secretary shall set forth in each contract under the pilot program the terms and conditions for participation in the pilot program and the notice required by subsection (d).

(f) Eligible markets Trades for futures and options contracts under the pilot program shall be carried out on commodity futures and options markets designated as contract markets under the Commodity Exchange Act (7 U.S.C. 1 et seq.).

(g) Recordkeeping A producer participating in the pilot program shall compile, maintain, and submit (or authorize the compilation, maintenance, and submission) of such documentation as the regulations governing the pilot program require.

(h) Use of Commodity Credit Corporation The Secretary shall fund and operate the pilot program through the Commodity Credit Corporation, except that the amount of Commodity Credit Corporation funds used to carry out this section shall not exceed, to the maximum extent practicable, $9,000,000 for fiscal year 2001, $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2002, and $2,000,000 for fiscal year 2003. To the maximum extent practicable, the Secretary shall operate the pilot program in a budget neutral manner.

(Pub. L. 104–127, title I, § 191, Apr. 4, 1996, 110 Stat. 941; Pub. L. 106–224, title I, § 134, June 20, 2000, 114 Stat. 388.)

Notes

Editorial Notes

References in TextFor definition of “this chapter”, referred to in subsecs. (a) and (c)(1), see note set out under section 7201 of this title. The Commodity Exchange Act, referred to in subsec. (f), is act Sept. 21, 1922, ch. 369, 42 Stat. 998, which is classified generally to chapter 1 (§ 1 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 1 of this title and Tables.

Codification Section is comprised of section 191 of Pub. L. 104–127. Subsec. (i) of section 191 of Pub. L. 104–127 repealed provisions set out as a note under section 1421 of this title.

Amendments2000—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 106–224, § 134(1), substituted “300 counties, except that not more than 25” for “100 counties, except that not more than 6” in first sentence. Subsec. (c)(2). Pub. L. 106–224, § 134(2), inserted before semicolon at end “during any calendar year in which a county in which the farm of the producer is located is included in the pilot program”. Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 106–224, § 134(3), inserted before period at end of first sentence “, except that the amount of Commodity Credit Corporation funds used to carry out this section shall not exceed, to the maximum extent practicable, $9,000,000 for fiscal year 2001, $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2002, and $2,000,000 for fiscal year 2003”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 2000 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 106–224 effective Oct. 1, 2000, see section 171(b)(1)(A) of Pub. L. 106–224, set out as a note under section 1501 of this title.