S. 3538: A bill to amend the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 to suspend a prohibition on payments to certain farms with limited base acres for the 2008 and 2009 crop years, to extend the signup for direct payments and counter-cyclical payments for the 2008 crop year, and for other purposes.

S. 3538: A bill to amend the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 to suspend a prohibition on payments to certain farms with limited base acres for the 2008 and 2009 crop years, to extend the signup for direct payments and counter-cyclical payments for the 2008 crop year, and for other purposes.

110th Congress · introduced 2008-09-23 · Agriculture and Food · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2008-09-23 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

A bill to amend the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 to suspend a prohibition on payments to certain farms with limited base acres for the 2008 and 2009 crop years, to extend the signup for direct payments and counter-cyclical payments for the 2008 crop year, and for other purposes.

Plain summary

Amends the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 with respect to producers, including peanut producers, with 10 or fewer base acres to: (1) suspend a prohibition on direct payments, counter-cyclical payments, or average crop revenue election payments; and (2) extend the 2008 signup deadline for direct payments and counter-cyclical payments until December 31, 2008. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to ensure that no penalty is assessed against producers for failure to submit reports or comply with other program requirements as a result of compliance with the extended signup deadline.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

A bill to amend the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 to suspend a prohibition on payments to certain farms with limited base acres for the 2008 and 2009 crop years, to extend the signup for direct payments and counter-cyclical payments for the 2008 crop year, and for other purposes.

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA] · 20 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Mike Crapo (R-ID), Susan M. Collins (R-ME)

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA] reported raising $527,998 (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (1)

Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-110s3538.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/110/s>

Record fed-us-cong110-s3538 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong110 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong110