MARKET LOSS ASSISTANCE.

SEC. 1111. [7 U.S.C. 1421 note] MARKET LOSS ASSISTANCE. (a) In General.—Subject to section 1132 and except as provided in subsection (d), the Secretary shall use not more than $3,057,000,000 for assistance to owners and producers on a farm who are eligible for final payments for fiscal year 1998 under a production flexibility contract for the farm under the Agricultural Market Transition Act (7 U.S.C. 7201 et seq.) to partially compensate the owners and producers for the loss of markets for the 1998 crop of a commodity. (b) Amount.—Except as provided in subsection (d), the amount of assistance made available to owners and producers on a farm under this section shall be proportional to the amount of the contract payment received by the owners and producers for fiscal year 1998 under a production flexibility contract for the farm under the Agricultural Market Transition Act. (c) Time for Payment.—The assistance made available under this section for an eligible owner or producer shall be made as soon as practicable after the date of enactment of this Act. (d) Of the total amount provided under subsection (a), $200,000,000 shall be available to provide assistance to dairy producers in a manner determined by the Secretary: Provided, That no payments made under this section shall affect any decision with respect to rulemaking activities described under section 143 of Public Law 104–127.