(a) For the 2019 though 2023 crop years, subject to paragraph (f) of this section, all of the producers on a farm must make a one-time election in the 2019 enrollment and election period that is both:
(1) Unanimous, and
(2) Irrevocable through 2020.
(b) The election by producers is to obtain -
(1) Either PLC or ARC-CO on a covered commodity-by-covered-commodity basis on the farm; or
(2) ARC-IC for all covered commodities on the farm.
(c) In general, a valid election will also apply to any subsequent year parent to the farm reconstitution as well as farms resulting from the parent farm as specified in § 1412.73. Neither the requesting of a farm reconstitution nor the reconstitution of any farm will impact either the requirement that all producers on a farm must make the unanimous irrevocable election in the defined election period or the valid election that was previously made by those producers.
(d) FSA will process elections from producers on a farm based on the election as submitted. For example, if the producers of a farm attest that they are all or the only producers on the farm and FSA later learns that there was another producer at the time of election who did not agree to the election, the election is invalid. If at any time FSA determines that an election fails to satisfy the requirements of this subpart because it did not include the unanimous agreement of all producers on the farm at the time of election, the election will immediately be invalid. This is not a compliance provision. Only valid elections by all producers will be recognized and used by CCC. All ARC and PLC payments that were issued to any producers on a farm based on an election later determined by CCC to be invalid, for whatever reason, regardless of whether those producers who were issued unearned payments personally made or participated in the invalid election, must be refunded with interest.
(e) Even if completed during the same period of time, election is separate from enrollment; producers on farms that have validly completed an election in the prescribed election period must enroll as specified in subpart D of this part for ARC and PLC payments, as applicable.
(f) Except for those farms specified under § 1412.26, for the 2021 and each subsequent crop year, all the producers on a farm may change the election under paragraph (a) of this section.
[79 FR 46339, Aug. 8, 2014, as amended at 83 FR 40659, Aug. 16, 2018; 84 FR 45894, Sept. 3, 2019]