12 2 STA T . 1 0 21 PUBLIC LA W 110 – 2 34—M A Y 22 , 200 8(B)notsubjec tto a n y ot h e rli ens or m ort g ages that are su p erior to the lien interest o f the C ommo d ity Credit Corporation .SEC.16 1 5 .S TA TE , C OUN T Y ,AN D A R EA CO M M I TTEES. S ection 8 (b)( 5 )(B)(ii) of the Soil Conser v ation and D omestic A llotment Act ( 16U .S.C. 5 90 h(b)(5)(B)(ii)) is amended — (1) by redesignating subclauses ( I ) and (II) as items (aa) and (bb) , respectively, and indenting appropriately
( 2 ) in the matter preceding item (aa) (as redesignated by paragraph (1)), by stri k ing ‘ ‘A committee established ’ ’ and inserting the follo w ing
‘‘(I) I NGE NE RAL .— Ex cept as provided in sub - clause (II), a committee established’’; and ( 3 ) by adding at the end the following: ‘‘(II) C OMBI NA T ION OR C ON S OLI D ATION O F AREAS.—A committee established by combining or consolidating 2 or more county or area committees shall consist of not fewer than 3 nor more than 11 members that— ‘‘(aa) are fairly representative of the agri- cultural producers within the area covered by the county, area, or local committee; and ‘‘(bb) are elected by the agricultural pro- ducers that participate or cooperate in pro- grams administered within the area under the jurisdiction of the county, area, or local com- mittee. ‘‘(III) R E P RESENTATION OF SOCIALL Y DISAD V AN- TAGED FARMERS AND RANC H ERS.— T he Secretary shall develop procedures to maintain representa- tion of socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers on combined or consolidated committees. ‘‘(I V ) ELIGIBILITY FOR MEMBERSHIP.— N otwith- standing any other producer eligibility re q uire- ments for service on county or area committees, if a county or area is consolidated or combined, a producer shall be eligible to serve only as a member of the county or area committee that the producer elects to administer the farm records of the producer.’’. SEC. 1616. P RO H I B ITION ON CHAR G ING CERTAIN F EES. P ublic L aw 108 –47 0 (7 U.S.C. 7416a) is amended— (1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘may’’ and inserting ‘‘shall’’; and (2) by adding at the end the following: ‘‘(c) PROHIBITION ON CHARGING CERTAIN F EES.—The Secretary may not charge any fees or related costs for the collection of com- modity assessments pursuant to this Act.’’. SEC. 161 7 . SIGNATURE AUTHORITY. (a) IN G ENERAL.—In carrying out this title and title II and amendments made by those titles, if the Secretary approves a document, the Secretary shall not subsequently determine the docu- ment is inadequate or invalid because of the lack of authority of any person signing the document on behalf of the applicant or any other individual, entity, general partnership, or joint venture, 7USC8 7 90.Procedu re s .
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