(a) The provisions of this part are applicable to payments when so provided by the individual program regulations under which the payments are made. The amount of the limitation shall be as specified in the individual program regulations.

(b) The limitation shall be applied to the payments for a commodity for a crop year.

(c) The limitation shall not be applicable to payments made to States, political subdivisions, or agencies thereof for participation in the programs on lands owned by such States, political subdivisions, or agencies thereof so long as such lands are farmed primarily in the direct furtherance of a public function. However, the limitation is applicable to persons who rent or lease land owned by States, political subdivisions, or agencies thereof.

(d) The limitation shall not be applicable to payments made to Indian tribal ventures participating in the programs where a responsible official of the Bureau of Indian Affairs or the Indian Tribal Council certifies that no more than the program payment limitation shall accrue directly or indirectly to any individual Indian and the State committee reviews and approves the exemption.

(e) Except as provided in part 1497 of this title, this part shall not be applicabie to contracts entered into on or after August 1, 1988 in accordance with part 704 of this chapter.

(a) The terms defined in part 719 of this chapter, governing reconstitutions of farms, shall be applicable to this part and all documents issued in accordance with this part, except as otherwise provided in this section.

(b)(1) Subject to the provisions of this part, the term “person” shall mean an individual, joint stock company, corporation, association, trust, estate, or other legal entity. In order to be considered to be a separate person for the purposes of this part with respect to any crop, in addition to any other provision of this part, an individual or other legal; entity must:

(i) Have a separate and distinct interest in the crop or the land on which the crop is produced;

(ii) Exercise separate responsibility for such interest; and

(iii) Be responsible for payment of the cost of farming related to such interest from a fund or account separate from that of any other individual or entity.

(2) The term “person” shall not include any cooperative association of producers that markets commodities for producers with respect to the commodities so marketed for producers.

(c) The term “family member” shall mean the individual, the great-grandparent, grand-parent, child, grandchild, and great-grandchild of such individual and the spouses of all such individuals.

(d) The term “separate unit” shall mean an individual who, prior to December 31, 1985: (1) Had been engaged in a separate farming operation and (2) in accordance with the provisions of this part, had been determined to be a separate person or could have so determined under the circumstances existing at such time.

Effective for the 1987 through 1990 crops, an individual shall not be denied a determination that such individual was a “person” solely on the basis that:

(a) A family member cosigns for, or makes a loan to, such individual and leases, loans or gives equipment, land or labor to such an individual; and

(b) Such family members were organized as separate units prior to December 31, 1985.

Except as otherwise set forth in this part, the status of individuals or entities as of March 1, or such other date as may be determined and announced by the Administrator shall be the basis on which determinations are made in accordance with this part for the year for which the determination is made.

The rules in §§ 795.5 through 795.16 shall be used to determine whether certain multiple individuals or legal entities are to be treated as one person or as separate persons for the purpose of applying the limitation. In cases in which more than one rule would appear to be applicable, the rule which is most restrictive on the number of persons shall apply.

A partnership, joint venture, tenants-in-common, or joint tenants shall not be considered as a person but, notwithstanding the provisions of § 795.3, each individual or other legal entity who shares in the proceeds derived from farming by such joint operations shall be considered a separate person, except as otherwise provided in this part, and shall be listed as a producer for payment purposes on program documents. The payment shares listed on the program documents for each individual or other legal entity shall be the same as each individual or other legal entity shares in the proceeds derived from farming by such joint operation. Notwithstanding the foregoing, each individual or other legal entity who shares in the proceeds derived from farming by such joint operation shall not be considered as a separate person unless the individual or other legal entity is actively engaged in the farming operations of the partnership or other joint operation. An individual or other legal entity shall be considered as actively engaged in the farming operation only if its contribution to the joint operation is commensurate with its share in the proceeds derived from farming by such joint operation. Members of the partnership or joint venture must furnish satisfactory evidence that their contributions of land, labor, management, equipment, or capital to the joint operation are commensurate with their claimed shares of the proceeds. A capital contribution may be a direct out-of-pocket input of a specified sum or an amount borrowed by the individual. If the contribution consists substantially of capital, such capital must have been contributed directly to the joint operation by the individual or other legal entity and not acquired as a result of (a) a loan made to the joint operation, (b) a loan which was made to such individual or other legal entity by the joint operation or any of its members or related entities, or (c) a loan made to such individual or other legal entity which was guaranteed by the joint operation or any of its members or related entities.

(a) A corporation (including a limited partnership) shall be considered as one person, and an individual stockholder of the corporation may be considered as a separate person to the extent that such stockholder is engaged in the production of the crop as a separate producer and otherwise meets the requirements of § 795.3, except that a corporation in which more than 50 percent of the stock is owned by an individual (including the stock owned by the individual's spouse, minor children, and trusts for the benefit of such minor children), or by a legal entity, shall not be considered as a separate person from such individual or legal entity.

(b) Where the same two or more individuals or other legal entities own more than 50 percent of the stock in each of two or more corporations, all such corporations shall be considered as one person.

(c) The percentage share of the value of the stock owned by an individual or other legal entity shall be determined as of March 1 of the crop year, except that where a stockholder voluntarily acquires stock after March 1 and before the harvest of the crop, the amount of any stock so acquired shall be included in determining the percentage share of the value of the stock owned by the stockholder. Where there is only one class of stock, a stockholder's percentage share of the value of the outstanding stock shall be equal to the percentage of the outstanding stock owned by the stockholder. If the corporation has more than one class of stock the percentage share of the value of the stock owned by a stockholder shall be determined by the Deputy Administrator on the basis of market quotations, and if market quotations are lacking or too scarce to be recognized the percentage share of the value of the stock shall be determined by the Deputy Administrator on the basis of all relevant factors affecting the fair market value, including the rights and privileges of the various stock issues.

(a) An estate or irrevocable trust shall be considered as one person except that, where two or more estates or irrevocable trusts have common beneficiaries or heirs (including spouses and minor children) with more than a 50-percent interest, all such estates or irrevocable trusts shall be considered as one person.

(b) An individual heir of an estate or beneficiary of a trust may be considered as a separate person to the extent that such heir or beneficiary is engaged in the production of crops as a separate producer and otherwise meets the requirements of § 795.3, except that an estate or irrevocable trust which has a sole heir or beneficiary shall not be considered as a separate person from such heir or beneficiary.

(c) Where an irrevocable trust or an estate is a producer on a farm and one or more of the beneficiaries or heirs of such trust or estate are minor children, the minor children's pro rata share of the program payments to the trust or estate shall be attributed to the parent of the minor children except as otherwise provided in § 795.12.

(d) A revocable trust shall not be considered as a separate person from the grantor.

Each individual club, society, fraternal or religious organization may be considered as a separate person to the extent that each such club, society, fraternal or religious organization is engaged in the production of crops as a separate producer and otherwise meets the requirements of § 795.3.

With respect to the 1988 crop year, a husband and wife shall be considered to be one person except that such individuals who, prior to their marriage, were separately engaged in unrelated farming operations will be determined to be separate persons with respect to such farming operations so long as the operations remain separate and distinct from any farming operation conducted by the other spouse if such individuals have executed a Contract to Participate in the 1988 Price Support and Production Adjustment Programs by April 15, 1988. Such individuals must file a form FSA-561 with the county committee for each such farming operation by July 8, 1988, if they desire to be considered as separate persons under this section.

(a) A minor child and his parents or guardian (or other person responsible for him) shall be considered as one person, except that the minor child may be considered as a separate person if such minor child is a producer on a farm in which the parents or guardian or other person responsible for him (including any entity in which the parents or guardian or other person responsible for him has a substantial interest, i.e., more than a 20-percent interest) takes no part in the operation of the farm (including any activities as a custom farmer) and owns no interest in the farm or allotment or in any portion of the production on the farm, and if such minor child:

(1) Is represented by a court-appointed guardian who is required by law to make a separate accounting for the minor and ownership of the farm is vested in the minor, or

(2) Has established and maintains a different household from his parents or guardian and personally carries out the actual farming operations on the farm for which there is a separate accounting, or

(3) Has a farming operation resulting from his being the beneficiary of an irrevocable trust and ownership of the property is vested in the trust or the minor.

(b) A person shall be considered a minor until he reaches 18 years of age. Court proceedings conferring majority on a person under 18 years of age will not change such person's status as a minor for purposes of applying the regulations.

Where the county committee is unable to determine whether certain individuals or legal entities involved in the production of a commodity are to be treated as one person or separate persons, all the facts regarding the arrangement under which the commodity is produced shall be submitted to the State committee for decision. Where the State committee is unable to determine whether such individuals or legal entities are to be treated as one person or separate persons, all the facts regarding the arrangement under which the farming operation is conducted shall be submitted to the Deputy Administrator for decision.

(a) Subject to the provisions of this part, a person may exercise his or her right heretofore existing under law, to divide, sell, transfer, rent, or lease his or her property if such division, sale, transfer, rental arrangement, or lease is legally binding as between the parties thereto. However, any document representing a division, sale, transfer, rental arrangement, or lease which is fictitious or not legally binding as between the parties thereto shall be considered to be for the purpose of evading the payment limitation and shall be disregarded for the purpose of applying the payment limitation. Any change in farming operations that would otherwise serve to increase the number of persons for application of the payment limitation must be bona fide and substantive.

(b) A substantive change includes, for example, a substantial increase or decrease in the size of the farm by purchase, sale, or lease; a substantial increase or decrease in the size of allotment by purchase, sale, or lease; a change from a cash lease to a share lease or vice versa; and dissolution of an entity such as a corporation or partnership.

(c) Examples of the types of changes that would not be considered as substantive are the following:

(a) Cash lease. If a rental agreement contains provisions for a guaranteed minimum rental with respect to the amount of rent to be paid to the landlord by a tenant, such agreement shall be considered to be a cash rental agreement. In addition, the rental agreement must be customary and reasonable for the area.

(b) Share lease. If a rental agreement contains provisions that require the payment of rent on the basis of the amount of the crop produced or the proceeds derived from the crop, such agreement shall be considered to be a share rental agreement. In addition, the rental agreement must be customary and reasonable for the area.

(a) Custom farming is the performance of services on a farm such as land preparation, seeding, cultivating, applying pesticides, and harvesting for hire with remuneration on a unit of work basis, except that, for the purpose of applying the provisions of this section, the harvesting of crops and the application of agricultural chemicals by firms regularly engaged in such businesses shall not be regarded as custom farming. A person performing custom farming shall be considered as being separate from the person for whom the custom farming is performed only if:

(1) The compensation for the custom farming is paid at a unit of work rate customary in the area and is in no way dependent upon the amount of the crop produced, and (2) the person performing the custom farming (and any other entity in which such person has more than a 20-percent interest) has no interest, directly or indirectly, (i) in the crop on the farm by taking any risk in the production of the crop, sharing in the proceeds of the crop, granting or guaranteeing the financing of the crop, (ii) in the allotment on the farm, or (iii) in the farm as landowner, landlord, mortgage holder, trustee, lienholder, guarantor, agent, manager, tenant, sharecropper, or any other similar capacity.

(b) A person having more than a 20-percent interest in any legal entity performing custom farming shall be considered as being separate from the person for whom the custom farming is performed only if:

(1) The compensation for the custom farming service is paid at a unit of work rate customary in the area and is in no way dependent upon the amount of the crop produced, and (2) the person having such interest in the legal entity performing the custom farming has no interest, directly or indirectly, (i) in the crop on the farm by taking any risk in the production of the crop, sharing in the proceeds of the corp, granting or guaranteeing the financing of the crop, (ii) in the allotment on the farm, or (iii) in the farm as landowner, landlord, mortgage holder, trustee, lienholder, guarantor, agent, manager, tenant, sharecropper, or in any other similar capacity.

All or any part of the payments otherwise due a person under the upland cotton, wheat, feed grain and rice programs on all farms in which the person has an interest may be withheld or required to be refunded if the person adopts or participates in adopting any scheme or device designed to evade or which has the effect of evading the rules of this part. Such acts shall include, but are not limited to, concealing from the county committee any information having a bearing on the application of the rules of this part or submitting false information to the county committee (for example, a set-aside agreement which is entered into that differs from information furnished to the county committee concerning the manner in which program payments are actually shared, concerning the actual facts of a sale, or concerning the transfer of property) or creating fictitious entities for the purpose of concealing the interest of a person in a farming operation.

Where two or more individuals or legal entities, who are treated as one person hereunder, receive payments which in the aggregate exceed the limitation, such individuals or legal entities shall be liable, jointly and severally, for any liability arising therefrom. The provisions of this part requiring the refund of payments shall be applicable in addition to any liability under criminal and civil fraud statutes.

Any person may obtain reconsideration and review of determinations made under this part in accordance with the appeal regulations, part 780 of this chapter, as amended.

In interpretations previously issued pursuant to the payment limitation regulations and published at 36 FR 16569, 37 FR 3049, 39 FR 15021 and 41 FR 17527 shall be applicable in construing the provisions of this part.

The information collection requirements contained in these regulations (7 CFR part 795) have been approved by the Office of Management and Budget under the provisions of 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35 and have been assigned OMB control number 0560-0096.

If a producer relied on a county committee and/or State committee “person” determination for a crop year and higher reviewing authority makes a more restrictive determination, the Deputy Administrator may grant relief only for such crop year if the producer was not afforded an opportunity to exercise other alternatives with respect to the producer's farming operation and the program provisions and the county committee has determined that the producers acted in good faith based upon the original “person” determination.