§ 2401a.
(c)
Group eligibility requirements
The Secretary shall certify a group of agricultural commodity producers as eligible to apply for adjustment assistance under this part if the Secretary determines—
(1)
that the national average price for the agricultural commodity, or a class of goods within the agricultural commodity, produced by the group for the most recent marketing year for which the national average price is available is less than 80 percent of the average of the national average price for such agricultural commodity, or such class of goods, for the 5 marketing years preceding the most recent marketing year; and
(2)
that increases in imports of articles like or directly competitive with the agricultural commodity, or class of goods within the agricultural commodity, produced by the group contributed importantly to the decline in price described in paragraph (1).
(d)
Special rule for qualified subsequent years
A group of agricultural commodity producers certified as eligible under
section 2401b of this title shall be eligible to apply for assistance under this part in any qualified year after the year the group is first certified, if the Secretary determines that—
(1)
the national average price for the agricultural commodity, or class of goods within the agricultural commodity, produced by the group for the most recent marketing year for which the national average price is available is equal to or less than the price determined under subsection (c)(1); and
(2)
the requirements of subsection (c)(2) are met.
([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].)