Legislative Committee
LEGISLATIVE REPORT
SDASCOE SPRING BOARD February 23/24, 2010
By Larry Olsen, SDASCOE Legislative Chair
Copyright 2010 SDASCOE. All rights reserved.
Web Hosting by Yahoo!
SDASCOE
We are finally getting to the end of this seemingly endless winter. What a fun one it has been.
Legislative items at this time are;

  1. 2011 Appropriation process is going on right now for the 2011 year. The most notable item
    in the proposed budget for 2011 is 89 million for IT, which is the same as the 2010
    appropriation. NASCOE has inquired at the National office whether or not this will be
    enough, because any shortfall would have to come out of the administrative budget if it is
    not. The National Office seems to think that it should be because the 2010 allocation was
    so late, which meant that most of the orders for new equipment were delayed and will not
    arrive until late in the fiscal year. This lessons the need for the next year purchases. Hope
    this make sense.
  2. Proposed cost of living adjustment for 2011 (COLA). The word is that the budget proposal
    for COLA in 2011 will be 1.4% increase.
  3. The SRA (standard reinsurance agreement) negotiations between RMA and the private
    insurance companies on crop insurance is going on. A draft agreement is proposed that
    would ensure that the privates would receive administrative funding for taking acreage and
    production evidence reports. There was speculation about a significant reductions to the
    reimbursable agreements, but at this time House Ag Committee Chairman Colin Peterson
    does not was to see any reductions, because it would lower the base line budget in the
    2012 farm bill.
  4. Talk of a reconciliation bill on the current farm bill is going on. Mainly the House. Unlikely in
    the Senate. One reconciliation issue is changing the AGI from $500,000 to $250,000.
    Again this is mainly happening in the House. There will be resistance in the Senate mainly
    because of the change in the AGI.
  5. House Chairman Colin Peterson will begin 2012 Farm Program hearings very soon.
    Congressman Peterson wants to have a bill ready to go by September of 2012.
  6. NASCOE is putting on a big push with the PAC. There are very few Ag PACs and NASCOE’
    s is one of the bigger ones and there are many Congressional members from Ag areas
    that are requesting money from it. NASCOE would like to try to double the participation
    from the members.

There will not be a NASOCE full or a mini Legislative Conference for the 2010 Year. There
always is the possibility of a targeted conference, but that would only include a small number
specific to the issue (States attending).

Have a happy Easter!

The opinions and comments expressed in this report are those of the author(s).  Most of the
material in this report is a gathering of bits and pieces of several items and personal contacts.  
This article does not represent official policy.

Respectfully submitted,
Larry Olsen, Legislative Chairperson