A petition for a certification of eligibility to apply for adjustment assistance under this part may be filed with the Secretary by a group of agricultural commodity producers or by their duly authorized representative. Upon receipt of the petition, the Secretary shall promptly publish notice in the Federal Register that the Secretary has received the petition and initiated an investigation.

If the petitioner, or any other person found by the Secretary to have a substantial interest in the proceedings, submits not later than 10 days after the date of the Secretary’s publication under subsection (a) a request for a hearing, the Secretary shall provide for a public hearing and afford such interested person an opportunity to be present, to produce evidence, and to be heard.

The Secretary shall certify a group of agricultural commodity producers as eligible to apply for adjustment assistance under this part if the Secretary determines that—

the national average price of the agricultural commodity produced by the group during the most recent marketing year for which data are available is less than 85 percent of the average of the national average price for the commodity in the 3 marketing years preceding such marketing year;

(A) the national average price of the agricultural commodity produced by the group during the most recent marketing year for which data are available is less than 85 percent of the average of the national average price for the commodity in the 3 marketing years preceding such marketing year;

(B) the quantity of production of the agricultural commodity produced by the group during such marketing year is less than 85 percent of the average of the quantity of production of the commodity produced by the group in the 3 marketing years preceding such marketing year;

(C) the value of production of the agricultural commodity produced by the group during such marketing year is less than 85 percent of the average value of production of the commodity produced by the group in the 3 marketing years preceding such marketing year; or

(D) the cash receipts for the agricultural commodity produced by the group during such marketing year are less than 85 percent of the average of the cash receipts for the commodity produced by the group in the 3 marketing years preceding such marketing year;

(2) the volume of imports of articles like or directly competitive with the agricultural commodity produced by the group in the marketing year with respect to which the group files the petition increased compared to the average volume of such imports during the 3 marketing years preceding such marketing year; and

(3) the increase in such imports contributed importantly to the decrease in the national average price, quantity of production, or value of production of, or cash receipts for, the agricultural commodity, as described in paragraph (1).

An agricultural commodity producer or group of producers that resides outside of the State or region identified in the petition filed under subsection (a) may file a request to become a party to that petition not later than 15 days after the date the notice is published in the Federal Register under subsection (a) with respect to that petition.

In any case in which there are separate classes of goods within an agricultural commodity, the Secretary shall treat each class as a separate commodity in determining under subsection (c)—

(1) group eligibility;

(2) the national average price, quantity of production, or value of production, or cash receipts; and

(3) the volume of imports.

(Pub. L. 93–618, title II, § 292, as added Pub. L. 107–210, div. A, title I, § 141(a), Aug. 6, 2002, 116 Stat. 947; amended Pub. L. 111–5, div. B, title I, § 1882(a), Feb. 17, 2009, 123 Stat. 415; Pub. L. 112–40, title II, § 201(b), (c), Oct. 21, 2011, 125 Stat. 403; Pub. L. 114–27, title IV, § 402(b), (c), June 29, 2015, 129 Stat. 374.)