§1427a. Reserve inventories for alleviation of distress of natural disaster

(a) Establishment, maintenance and disposal by Secretary; amount and nature of reserve

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary of Agriculture may under the provisions of this Act establish, maintain, and dispose of a separate reserve of inventories of not to exceed 75 million bushels of wheat, feed grains, and soybeans for the purpose of alleviating distress caused by a natural disaster.

Such reserve inventories may include such quantities of grain that the Secretary deems needed to provide for the alleviation of distress as the result of a natural disaster.

(b) Acquisition of commodities through price support program

The Secretary may acquire such commodities through the price support program. However, if the Secretary determines that no wheat, feed grains, or soybeans are available through the price support program at locations where they may be economically utilized to alleviate distress caused by a natural disaster, the Secretary is authorized to purchase through the facilities of the Commodity Credit Corporation such wheat, feed grains, soybeans, hay, or other livestock forages as the Secretary deems necessary for disposition in accordance with the authority provided in subsection (d) of this section. The Secretary may acquire wheat, feed grains, soybeans, hay, or other livestock forages at such locations, at such times, and in such quantities as the Secretary finds necessary and appropriate and may pay such transportation and other costs as may be required to permit disposition of such wheat, feed grains, soybeans, hay, and other livestock forages under subsection (d) of this section.

(c) Prerequisites for sale or disposition of commodities in reserve

Except when a state of emergency has been proclaimed by the President or by concurrent resolution of Congress declaring that such reserves should be disposed of, the Secretary shall not offer any commodity in the reserve for sale or disposition.

(d) Additional authorization for disposition of commodities to relieve distress or for civil defense emergencies

The Secretary is also authorized to dispose of such commodities only for (1) use in relieving distress (A) in any State, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, or the Virgin Islands of the United States, (B) in connection with any major disaster or emergency determined by the President to warrant assistance by the Federal Government under the Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (88 Stat. 143, as amended; 42 U.S.C. 5121), and (C) in connection with any emergency determined by the Secretary to warrant assistance under section 1427 of this title, the Act of September 21, 1959 (73 Stat. 574, as amended; 7 U.S.C. 1427 note), or section 2267 ¹ of this title; or (2) use in connection with a state of civil defense emergency as proclaimed by the President or by concurrent resolution of the Congress in accordance with title VI of The ² Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act [42 U.S.C. 5195 et seq.].

(e) Sale at equivalent prices for maintenance of reserve

The Secretary may sell at an equivalent price, allowing for the customary location and grade price differentials, substantially equivalent quantities in different locations or warehouses to the extent needed to properly handle, rotate, distribute, and locate such reserve.

(f) Utilization of Commodity Credit Corporation and usual and customary channels, etc., of trade and commerce

The Secretary may use the Commodity Credit Corporation to the extent feasible to fulfill the purposes of this section; and to the maximum extent practicable consistent with the fulfillment of the purposes of this section and the effective and efficient administration of this section shall utilize the usual and customary channels, facilities, and arrangements of trade and commerce.

(g) Rules and regulations

The Secretary may issue such rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this section.

(h) Authorization of appropriations

There is hereby authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this section.

(Pub. L. 91–524, title VIII, §813, as added Pub. L. 93–86, §1(27)(B), Aug. 10, 1973, 87 Stat. 239 ; amended Pub. L. 95–113, title XI, §1103, Sept. 29, 1977, 91 Stat. 953 ; Pub. L. 97–98, title X, §1003, Dec. 22, 1981, 95 Stat. 1260 ; Pub. L. 100–707, title I, §109(b), Nov. 23, 1988, 102 Stat. 4708 ; Pub. L. 103–337, div. C, title XXXIV, §3412(b)(3), Oct. 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 3111 .)

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This Act, referred to in subsec. (a), is Pub. L. 91–524, Nov. 30, 1970, 84 Stat. 1358 , known as the Agricultural Act of 1970. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title of 1970 Amendment note set out under section 1281 of this title and Tables.

The Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act and the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, referred to in subsec. (d), are Pub. L. 93–288, May 22, 1974, 88 Stat. 143 , which is classified principally to chapter 68 (§5121 et seq.) of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. Title VI of the Act is classified generally to subchapter IV–B (§5195 et seq.) of chapter 68 of Title 42. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 5121 of Title 42 and Tables.

Act of September 21, 1959, referred to in subsec. (d), is Pub. L. 86–299, Sept. 21, 1959, 73 Stat. 574 , as amended, which is set out as a note under section 1427 of this title.

Section 2267 of this title, referred to in subsec. (d), was repealed by Pub. L. 100–387, title I, §101(b)(1), Aug. 11, 1988, 102 Stat. 931 .

Codification

Section was enacted as part of the Agricultural Act of 1970 as added by the Agriculture and Consumer Protection Act of 1973, and not as part of the Agricultural Act of 1949 which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of the 1949 Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 1421 of this title and Tables.

Amendments

1994-Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 103–337 substituted "title VI of The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act" for "the provisions of the Federal Civil Defense Act of 1950, as amended (50 U.S.C. App. 2251–2297)".

1988-Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 100–707 substituted "and Emergency Assistance Act" for "Act of 1974".

1981-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 97–98 substituted "may" for "shall" wherever appearing.

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 97–98 substituted "Secretary may acquire such commodities" for "Secretary shall acquire such commodities".

1977-Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 95–113, §1103(a), inserted provisions authorizing Secretary to act if it is determined that no wheat, feed grains, or soybeans are available through the price support program at locations where they can be economically utilized to alleviate distress caused by a natural disaster.

Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 95–113, §1103(b), substituted "(A) in any State, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, or the Virgin Islands of the United States, (B) in connection with any major disaster or emergency determined by the President to warrant assistance by the Federal Government under the Disaster Relief Act of 1974, and (C) in connection with any emergency determined by the Secretary to warrant assistance under section 1427 of this title, the Act of September 21, 1959, or section 2267 of this title" for "(a) in any State, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, or the Virgin Islands and (b) in connection with any major disaster determined by the President to warrant assistance by the Federal Government under Public Law 875, Eighty-first Congress, as amended".

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

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 of 1977 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 95–113 effective Oct. 1, 1977, see section 1901 of Pub. L. 95–113, set out as a note under section 1307 of this title.

Commodity Credit Corporation Fund; Disaster Reserve Assistance Program

Pub. L. 105–18, title II, June 12, 1997, 111 Stat. 170 , provided in part: "That notwithstanding any other provision of law, beginning on October 1, 1997, grain in the disaster reserve established in the Agricultural Act of 1970 [see Short Title of 1970 Amendment note set out under section 1281 of this title] shall not exceed 20 million bushels".

¹ See References in Text note below.

² So in original. Probably should not be capitalized.