Food and Agriculture Reconciliation Act - Fiscal Year 1983

(Measure passed House, amended, roll call #258 (268-121))

Food and Agriculture Reconciliation Act - Fiscal Year 1983: Title I: Dairy - Subtitle A: Dairy Price-Support Program - Amends the Agricultural Act of 1949, as amended by the Agriculture and Food Act of 1981, to establish a two-tier dairy price support program for FY 1983 through 1985, effective October 1, 1982.

Sets the price of milk for domestic needs: (1) at $13.10 per hundredweight for FY 1983; and (2) at the percentage of parity for FY 1984 and 1985 which $13.10 represented as of October 1, 1982.

Sets the price of milk in excess of domestic needs at the higher support level uniformly reduced to cover the annual costs of acquiring, managing, and disposing of surplus milk. Provides that the funds from such reduction shall be remitted to the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) by the first milk handlers, including producers who market their own milk.

Limits CCC annual milk purchases to five billion pounds, with producers responsible for costs in excess of such amount. Stipulates that the CCC shall increase its purchases if import quotas are increased.

States that the price of milk shall be supported through milk and milk products purchases.

Authorizes payments to producers who reduce their production.

Establishes a National Dairy Board consisting of the Secretary of Agriculture and 15 presidentially-appointed members.

Directs the Board to: (1) determine the relative proportions of milk to which the price support levels will apply and the producer responsibility for dairy product purchases; (2) establish a uniform price support reduction rate for milk in excess of domestic commercial market needs and announce such rate before October 1 of each year; (3) dispose of dairy products acquired by the CCC through authorized price support operations; and (4) remit proceeds from price support operations to the CCC.

Sets forth enforcement provisions.

Subtitle B: Dairy Promotion - Dairy Promotion Act - Authorizes the Secretary, by dairy products promotion order, to establish a National Dairy Promotion Board made up of dairy farmers to promote dairy products.

Requires approval of a proposed promotion order by a producer-referendum.

Finances such Board through dairy producer assessments.

Authorizes appropriations.

Authorizes domestic and foreign CCC commodity donations. States that foreign donations shall be coordinated through, and in addition to, Public Law 480 programs.

Title II: Adjustment Program for the 1983 Crops of Wheat, Feed Grains, Upland Cotton, and Rice - Sets 1983 wheat price support levels at not less than $3.80 per bushel. Provides for a 25 percent combined acreage limitation or set-aside and diversion program for such crop. Requires producers to comply with such combined program in order to receive price supports.

Bases 1983 through 1985 wheat, feed grain, upland cotton, and rice acreages upon the respective 1982 bases adjusted to reflect established crop-rotation practices and other factors as the Secretary determines.

Requires the Secretary to make retirement and conservation payments to 1983 wheat and feed grain crop producers who participate in the acreage limitation or set-aside program. Sets such rates at $3.00 and $1.50 per bushel for wheat and corn respectively.

Sets 1983 corn support levels (upon which feed grain levels are based) at not less than $2.71 per bushel. Provides for a 20 percent combined acreage limitation or set-aside and diversion program for such crop if the Secretary determines that the 1982 corn crop will exceed a specified number of bushels. Requires producers to comply with such combined program in order to receive price supports.

Requires, if a reduction program is established for 1983 upland cotton, that 25 percent of such program shall be under a paid diversion program with the balance under an acreage limitation program. Requires producers to comply with such combined program in order to receive price supports.

Requires the Secretary to make retirement and conservation payments to participating upland cotton producers. Sets the payment rate at 25 cents per pound.

Provides for a 25 percent combined acreage limitation (15 percent) and diversion (ten percent) program for the 1983 rice crops if the Secretary determines that the 1982 crop will exceed a specified hundredweight. Requires producers to comply with such combined program in order to receive price supports.

Requires the Secretary to make retirement and conservation payments to participating rice producers. Sets such rate at $3.00 per hundredweight.

Requires: (1) the Secretary to advance at least 50 percent of any land diversion payments to a participating producer as soon as possible; and (2) a noncomplying producer to repay the advance with interest.

Title III: Food Stamp Act Amendments of 1982 - Food Stamp Act Amendments of 1982 - Amends the Food Stamp Act of 1977 to: (1) treat siblings living together who are not elderly, blind, or disabled as one household; and (2) treat persons 60 years or older living with others but unable to purchase and prepare meals because of medical disability as a separate household if the income of the other person does not exceed 165 percent of the nonfarm poverty guideline.

Requires the rounding down of dollar amounts for the thrifty food plan in computing deductions of household income, and in calculating the value of allotments.

Includes disabled veterans and their survivors as eligible for benefits under the food stamp program.

Excludes from household income cost-of-living increases attributable to specified provisions of the Social Security Act, the Railroad Retirement Act of 1974, and pensions for veterans of a period of war.

Changes the date for adjusting deductions in computing household income from July 1, 1983, to October 1, 1983.

Revises excess shelter deduction provisions to permit State agencies to use a standard utility allowance which does not fluctuate seasonally. Excludes from such use households not incurring or sharing such expenses.

Requires monthly averaging of household income received on a regular weekly or biweekly basis.

Prohibits any waiver of the requirement that migrant household income be calculated prospectively.

Establishes categorical eligibility for recipients of Aid to Families with Dependent Children under the Social Security program.

Authorizes State agencies to select certain categories of households which may file periodic reports of household circumstances at less frequent intervals than other types of households.

Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to require job search information at the time of an individual's application for food stamps.

Increases from 60 to 90 days the period of ineligibility for voluntarily quitting a job.

Authorizes the Secretary to require State agencies to use an alternative coupon issuance system if such system improves the integrity of the food stamp program. Prohibits the issuance of an initial month allotment under $10.

Authorizes household information disclosure to Federal or federally-assisted programs.

Requires expedited service to destitute migrant households or households with no income.

Authorizes a State agency to promptly reduce or terminate benefits for any household which provides written information that clearly requires a reduction or termination.

Requires State agencies to determine, not less frequently than annually, whether food stamp recipients are in receipt of duplicative benefits.

Requires State agencies to reimburse the Secretary for the value of excess allotments issued to households. Sets forth a formula for reducing an agency's federally funded share of administrative costs based upon the State's payment error rate.

Requires the Secretary to study the impact of benefit reductions and make a final report to the appropriate congressional committees by March 1, 1985.

Authorizes ceilinged appropriations for FY 1983 through 1985.

Allows the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico to provide food assistance in the form of cash for FY 1982 and 1983. Directs the Secretary to conduct a study of the impact of such assistance and submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees within six months.

Requires that, out of one-half of the savings resulting from employment of workfare program people, an increased Federal share of administrative expenses be made available to agencies operating such programs.

Makes certain provisions of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981 and the Agriculture and Food Act of 1981 effective on the date of enactment of this Act.