Agricultural Act of 1981

Agricultural Act of 1981 - Title I: Wheat - Amends the Agricultural Act of 1949 to provide for loans and purchases of the 1982-1985 wheat crops at not less than $3.50 per bushel. Sets the established price for such crops at the previous year's price adjusted to reflect changes in production costs. Directs the Secretary to proclaim a national program acreage to meet domestic and export needs for each of the 1982-1985 crops by August of each year.

Requires the Secretary to determine a program allocation factor for each crop. States that such factor shall be determined by dividing the national program acreage by the estimated number of acres to be harvested. Stipulates that the allocation factor shall be between 80 and 100 percent. States that: (1) the individual farm program acreage shall be determined by multiplying the allocation factor by planted acreage on farms for which individual farm program acreages are required to be determined; and (2) the farm program payment yield shall be based on the previous crop year.

Permits the Secretary to limit wheat acreage as necessary. Requires such reduced acreage to be used for conservation purposes.

Authorizes the Secretary to conduct a land diversion program in lieu of the present set-aside program, and require participation as a condition of eligibility for loans and purchases. Requires diverted acreage to be used for conservation purposes, including wildlife habitats.

Exempts the 1982-1985 wheat crops from specified: (1) export and processing marketing certificate requirements; (2) marketing quotas and producer certificate provisions; (3) quota provisions; and (4) current support price levels. Exempts the 1982-1985 feed grain crops from current support price levels.

Title II: Feed Grains - Provides for loans and purchases of the 1982-1985 corn crops at not less than $2.55 per bushel, and for the 1982-1985 crops of grain sorghums, barley, oats, and rye at levels determined by the Secretary. Provides for target prices, national program acreage, allocation factors, payment yields, acreage limitations, and land diversion under similar conditions as apply to wheat under this Act. Provides for the nonapplicability of certain price support provisions to the 1982-1985 feed grain crops.

Title III: Grain Reserves - Removes specified percentage limitations to give the Secretary complete discretion, with respect to terms and conditions of producer-held grain reserve storage loans, to determine at what market price levels such producers are to be encouraged or required to redeem and market stored wheat and feed grains or repay loans before the maturity dates.

Removes specified limitations on the number of bushels the Secretary may determine as appropriate for the storage program to promote the orderly marketing of such commodities.

Removes the exemption for corn sold for alcohol-as-fuel production from the price restrictions on Commodity Credit Corporation sales of feed grain stocks.

Repeals: (1) provisions of such Act encouraging the President to enter negotiations to set up an International Emergency Food Reserve; (2) disaster reserve requirements.

Amends the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act to change from mandatory to discretionary the Secretary's authority to make farm storage facility loans.

Title IV: Soybeans - Provides for loans and purchases of the soybean crops beginning with the 1982 crop at not less than $5.02 per bushel. States that the soybean marketing year shall begin on September 1 and end on August 31. Stipulates that: (1) participation in any soybean production control program shall not be required for price support participation; (2) soybeans shall not be eligible for any reserve storage program; (3) producers shall not be restricted from participating in storage facility or production loan programs; and (4) soybeans shall not be considered an agricultural commodity for price or production control programs.

Title V: Food Stamp and Commodity Distribution Programs - Amends the Food Stamp Act of 1977 to provide that "thrifty food plan" cost adjustments will be made each January 1 based on the 12 months ending the preceding September 30.

Increases the standard monthly income deduction and the excess shelter deduction. Sets forth standard and excess shelter deduction amounts for Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.

Amends the Food Stamp Act Amendments of 1980 to repeal scheduled increases in dependent care deductions for working adults and medical deductions for the elderly and the disabled. Revises household income computation formulas. Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to waive the periodic certification report requirement. Prohibits allotments from being given to any household that has not submitted required reports until such reports are submitted.

Eliminates: (1) boarders from the definition of "household"; and (2) meals served to certain blind or disabled persons, to battered women and children in shelters, and to addicts and alcoholics in rehabilitation programs from the definition of "food." Eliminates the definition for "drug addiction or alcoholic treatment and rehabilitation program." Excludes Federal energy assistance payments and other federally excluded payments from the computation of household income. Replaces certain State outreach requirements with an obligation to inform applicants and participants of their rights under such Act.

Revises the definition of "retail food store." Treats parents and children living together as a single household unless one of the parents is 60 years old or more. Provides for separate cost calculations for urban and rural Alaskan areas. Disallows expenses paid by a third party as a deduction from household income. Eliminates the requirement that the Secretary follow the regulations in force as of June 1, 1977, in prescribing financial resource inclusions and exclusions.

Makes the intentional making of a false or misleading statement or misrepresentation of facts for the purpose of using or acquiring coupons or authorization cards grounds for a three- month disqualification. Requires the household of a disqualified member either to reimburse the Federal government or to accept an allotment reduction. Authorizes reasonable allotment reductions as a means of collecting other overissuance claims against a household.

Amends current work requirement provisions to: (1) make work registration annual rather than every six months; (2) make a household ineligible regardless of when certification occurs if the head of such household voluntarily quits work without good cause; and (3) exempt participants in a State community work experience program from registration requirements.

Restricts the receipt of cash in change for coupons used in food purchases. Sets forth the liability of States for certain losses relating to food stamp coupons. Prohibits coupon restoration for claims more than one year old.

Eliminates: (1) the requirement that the Secretary develop special nutrition materials for individuals with low reading or comprehension abilities; and (2) the 60 days validity period for certification transfers.

Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) waive a claim; or (2) reduce amounts otherwise owed to a State agency under such Act in order to collect certain unpaid claims assessed against such State agency.

Provides that funds collected from claims against households or State agencies shall be credited to the food stamp appropriation account for the fiscal year in which the collection occurs.

Replaces the fiscal year 1981 authorization of appropriations limit with an authorization of necessary appropriations for fiscal years 1981-1985.

Amends the Agriculture and Consumer Protection Act of 1973 to extend specified commodities distribution programs through fiscal years 1985. Establishes penalties for the fraudulent use of such commodities. Provides for the reimbursement of State administrative expenses during fiscal years 1982-1985. Stipulates that such funds shall not exceed 15 percent of a State's commodities appropriation.

Directs the Secretary, upon the request of a State, to find that such State's cash payments under the Social Security Act have been specifically increased to include the bonus value of food stamps for determining food stamp eligibility for supplemental security income recipients.