The following provisions apply to ARC and PLC program contracts:

Eligible producers (as specified in § 1412.42) of covered commodities with base acres may enroll in ARC and PLC contracts during the enrollment period announced by FSA.

For program year 2014, the enrollment period will end June 1, 2015.

The 2014 contract period ends September 30, 2014. Accordingly, the enrollment for 2014 is the only program year a retroactive contract can be approved.

If a 2014 farm did not have a valid election made by producers in accordance with subpart G, no producer on that farm is eligible for any 2014 ARC or PLC payment for that farm. This is not an adverse decision for any enrolled producer on that farm; rather, the farm's producers are simply not eligible for payments on the enrolled farm because the farm does not have a valid election.

For program year 2018, the enrollment period will end on September 30, 2018.

Eligible producers must execute and submit an ARC or PLC program contract not later than September 30, 2018, for fiscal year 2018 contracts.

Except as stated in this section, enrollment is not allowed after September 30 of the fiscal year in which the ARC or PLC payments are requested. FSA will not process offers of enrollment for a contract period after the contract period has ended. This is not a compliance provision but a rule of general applicability and will apply to every offer to contract in each contract year.

Except as discussed in this section for PLC and ARC-CO enrollments, contracts will not be approved unless all producers sharing in contract acreage with more than a zero share have submitted all applicable signatures on the contract and documentation necessary for FSA to make such approval, as determined by the Deputy Administrator. For those producers with an interest but a zero share of contract acreage, the contract will not be approved before all producers have signed the contract or furnished supportive and necessary contractual documents (such as cash leases in lieu of signing for a zero share). A contract not having all requisite signatures of producers having more than a zero share of contract acreage on or before the enrollment deadline are deemed incomplete and will not be considered submitted to CCC for any purpose and will not be acted on or approved. For ARC-IC contracts there are no exceptions to this provision. Additionally, contracts enrolled by a producer by the date specified in paragraph (a)(2)(i) of this section that were not signed by other producers according to this section will be deemed withdrawn and will not be approved. An exception to this applies to PLC and ARC-CO offers of enrollment. In those instances, at the discretion of the Deputy Administrator and where no dispute of shares or other disagreement between producers is evident or suspected, PLC and ARC-CO offers of enrollment can be approved to permit payment to only those eligible producers who did enroll and without regard to shares that do not have signatures. This exception will be made only if, in the sole judgment and discretion of FSA, FSA is satisfied that those producers who did sign in accordance with this section ensure compliance with all contract provisions and requirements of this part. Producers have no right to payment on any farm that is not enrolled in ARC or PLC and they are not entitled to a decision to authorize the exception for PLC and ARC-CO enrollments as discussed above, as that is discretionary. CCC and FSA are not responsible for ensuring that producers annually enroll in ARC or PLC. Producers on a farm are solely responsible for ensuring that enrollment occurs.

Eligible producers who choose to enter into a contract with FSA must enroll all base acres on the farm. Enrollment of fewer than all base acres on the farm is not allowed.

Eligible producers may withdraw from a contract at any time by September 30, 2018, provided all producer signatories to the contract, including FSA, agree to the withdrawal in writing.

All contracts expire on September 30 of the fiscal year of the contract unless:

Withdrawn in accordance with paragraph (b) of this section;

Terminated in accordance with paragraphs (d) or (e) of this section; or

Terminated at an earlier date by mutual consent of all parties, including CCC.

A transfer or change in the interest of an owner or producer in the farm or in acreage on the farm subject to a contract will result in the termination of the contract. The contract termination will be effective on the date of the transfer or change. Successors to the interest in the farm or crops on the farm subject to the contract may enroll the farm in a new contract for the current and assume all obligations under the contract.

In the event a 2018 crop year farm reconstitution is completed on a properly enrolled farm or farms in accordance with part 718 of this title, FSA will issue notices to the farm operator and owners of record on a farm that all producers with an interest in the base acres on the farm must sign a new ARC or PLC program contract within the later of 30 days of the notice or September 30 of the fiscal year program payments are requested, after receiving written notification by the county committee indicating the reconstitution is completed. It is the responsibility of the operator and owners on a farm that producers with an interest in base acres are notified of the reconstitution and requirement for a new contract.

Any 2018 contract for a farm that includes generic base acres, whether or not that contract was approved on behalf of CCC, is invalid and withdrawn. Eligible producers on farms that had generic base acres must enroll in accordance with paragraph (a) of this section after allocation has been completed. Any contract executed before allocation in § 1412.25 will not be recognized by CCC for any purpose.