REFRESH Act of 2011
Latest action (5 Oct 2011): Introduced
What this bill does
The REFRESH Act of 2011 (H.R. 3111) was a broad farm-bill-style measure that would have reformed and reauthorized federal agricultural programs. Its main provisions would replace the existing Average Crop Revenue Election program with a new "Aggregate Risk and Revenue Management" (ARRM) program for covered commodities and peanuts, running through the 2017 crop year, while repealing direct and counter-cyclical payments. It would also create supplemental crop insurance options, repeal the federal sugar program and related tariffs, restructure dairy policy by establishing new margin protection and market stabilization programs while repealing older dairy price-support programs, and address conservation programs (including the Conservation Reserve Program), nutrition programs such as SNAP, rural energy initiatives, and agricultural research funding rules.
The bill would primarily affect farmers and ranchers who grow covered commodities, peanuts, sugar, or dairy products, as well as crop insurance providers, conservation program participants, SNAP recipients, and rural energy and research programs tied to the Department of Agriculture. Changes to payment formulas, insurance coverage, and program eligibility would alter the financial support and risk-management tools available to producers.
The bill was introduced on October 5, 2011, by Rep. Marlin Stutzman and referred to the House Committee on Agriculture and the Committee on Ways and Means. It received no further action and did not come to a vote before the end of the 112th Congress, meaning it did not become law.
Plain-English summary generated by Bill100 AI from the official record. Always verify against the source below.
Official summary
Rural Economic Farm and Ranch Sustainability and Hunger Act of 2011 or the REFRESH Act of 2011 - Amends the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA), regarding all covered commodities and peanuts during each of the 2013-2017 crop years, to give the operator, tenant, or sharecropper on a farm an opportunity to make an annual election to receive aggregate risk and revenue management (ARRM) payments for the crop year for which the election is made. (Replaces the average crop revenue election program with the ARRM program.)
Repeals the direct and counter-cyclical payment programs for covered commodities and peanuts beginning with the 2013 crop year.
Suspends permanent price support authority through December 31, 2017.
Amends the Federal Crop Insurance Act to: (1) authorize the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) to offer supplemental coverage based on an area yield and loss basis to cover that portion of a crop loss not covered under the producer's individual yield and loss basis insurance plan, (2) require CCC to offer a whole farm insurance plan that allows a producer to qualify for an indemnity if actual gross farm revenue is below 80% of the producer's average gross farm revenue, and (3) extend and expand the adjusted gross revenue insurance pilot program.
Amends the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 to repeal the sugar loan program.
Eliminates tariffs on: (1) raw sugar cane, (2) beet sugar, and (3) certain refined sugar.
Establishes through December 31, 2017: (1) a dairy producer margin protection program, and (2) a dairy market stabilization program.
Revises milk marketing order provisions.
Common questions
- What does H.R. 3111 do?
- The REFRESH Act of 2011 (H.R. 3111) was a broad farm-bill-style measure that would have reformed and reauthorized federal agricultural programs. Its main provisions would replace the existing Average Crop Revenue Election program with a new "Aggregate Risk and Revenue Management" (ARRM) program for covered commodities and peanuts, running through the 2017 crop year, while repealing direct and counter-cyclical payments. It would also create supplemental crop insurance options, repeal the federal sugar program and related tariffs, restructure dairy policy by establishing new margin protection and market stabilization programs while repealing older dairy price-support programs, and address conservation programs (including the Conservation Reserve Program), nutrition programs such as SNAP, rural energy initiatives, and agricultural research funding rules. The bill would primarily affect farmers and ranchers who grow covered commodities, peanuts, sugar, or dairy products, as well as crop insurance providers, conservation program participants, SNAP recipients, and rural energy and research programs tied to the Department of Agriculture. Changes to payment formulas, insurance coverage, and program eligibility would alter the financial support and risk-management tools available to producers. The bill was introduced on October 5, 2011, by Rep. Marlin Stutzman and referred to the House Committee on Agriculture and the Committee on Ways and Means. It received no further action and did not come to a vote before the end of the 112th Congress, meaning it did not become law.
- Has H.R. 3111 become law?
- Not yet. As of 5 Oct 2011, H.R. 3111 is introduced.
- Who sponsored H.R. 3111?
- H.R. 3111 was sponsored by Rep. Marlin Stutzman [R-IN3] (Republican-IN), with 0 cosponsors.
- What's the latest action on H.R. 3111?
- Introduced (5 Oct 2011).
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