Section 515(h) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (FCIA) provides that a person who willfully and intentionally provides any false or inaccurate information to the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) or to an approved insurance provider with respect to a policy or plan of FCIC insurance after notice and an opportunity for a hearing on the record, will be subject to one or more of the sanctions described in section 515(h)(3). In section 515(h)(3), the FCIA specifies that in the case of a violation committed by a producer, the producer may be disqualified for a period of up to 5 years from receiving any monetary or non-monetary benefit under a number of programs. The list includes, but is not limited to, benefits under:
The FCIA.
The Agricultural Market Transition Act (7 U.S.C. 7201 et seq.), including the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program under section 196 of that Act (7 U.S.C. 7333).
The Agricultural Act of 1949 (7 U.S.C. 1421 et seq.).
The Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act (15 U.S.C. 714 et seq).
The Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938 (7 U.S.C. 1281 et seq.).
Title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3801 et seq.).
The Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1921 et seq.).
Any law that provides assistance to a producer of an agricultural commodity affected by a crop loss or a decline in prices of agricultural commodities.
Violation determinations are made by FCIC. However, upon notice from FCIC to CCC that a producer has been found to have committed a violation to which paragraph (a) of this section applies, that person shall be considered ineligible for payments under the programs specified in paragraph (a) of this section that are funded by CCC for the same period of time for which, as determined by FCIC, the producer will be ineligible for crop insurance benefits of the kind referred to in paragraph (a)(1) of this section. Appeals of the determination of ineligibility will be administered under the rules set by FCIC.
Other sanctions may also apply.