Release Notes 7.095.0

Beginning in the 2019 RY, for crops with a filing date of 11/30 or later, RMA has expanded enterprise units to include a Multi-County Enterprise Unit Endorsement (MCEU). This endorsement will allow growers to combine acreage of an insured crop in one county with acreage of that same insured crop in another contiguous county. RMA has issued a new option code of "MC" that will be used to elect Multi-County Enterprise Units when elected on the coverage in conjunction with the EU or EP unit structure. In addition, there are a number of qualification requirements that must be met at the Acreage Reporting Date in order for the coverage to qualify for MCEU. This ticket implemented MCEU on the following forms:

MCT implemented a base Livestock Policy Declaration Page for LGM and LRP. The Dec Page was added to the LGM and LRP Print tab, which is independent of the DRP Print tab. If there is no active LGM and LRP coverage on the policy, the Print tab defaults to the LGM and LRP Print menu. This allows agents the ability to print Dec Pages for any canceled coverages.

Acreage Reporting: On Acreage Reporting forms, the below language was printed under the CLU. Now that CLU is 100% required, the CLU language was removed from the Acreage Reporting forms (except on the Perennial Combo Form since Perennials are not required to report CLU 100% yet):

"This item is optional except for the following situations: Acreage Insured under written agreement, if required by written agreement as determined by the RMA Regional Office; Acreage emerging from CRP the initial year of planting, and all subsequent crop years thereafter; Acreage being planted the initial year of new breaking and all subsequent crop years thereafter; and Units are based on FSA Farm Number (with Tract/Field number optional)."

These changes apply to all years:

An ICE 2015 update was made by the RMA and implemented in the System. The following table has been updated for 2015:

An ICE 2016 update was made by the RMA and implemented in the System. The following table has been updated for 2016:

An ICE 2017 update was made by the RMA and implemented in the System. The following table has been updated for 2017:

An ICE 2018 update was made by the RMA and implemented in the System. The following table has been updated for 2018:

An ICE 2019 update was made by the RMA and implemented in the System. The following tables have been updated for 2019:

An ICE 2015 update was made by the RMA and implemented in the System. The following tables have been updated for 2015:

An ICE 2016 update was made by the RMA and implemented in the System. The following tables have been updated for 2016:

An ICE 2017 update was made by the RMA and implemented in the System. The following tables have been updated for 2017:

An ICE 2018 update was made by the RMA and implemented in the System. The following tables have been updated for 2018:

An ICE 2019 update was made by the RMA and implemented in the System. The following tables have been updated for 2019:

An ICE 2015 update was made by the RMA and implemented in the System. The following tables have been updated for 2015:

An ICE 2016 update was made by the RMA and implemented in the System. The following tables have been updated for 2016:

An ICE 2017 update was made by the RMA and implemented in the System. The following tables have been updated for 2017:

An ICE 2018 update was made by the RMA and implemented in the System. The following tables have been updated for 2018:

An ICE 2019 update was made by the RMA and implemented in the System. The following tables have been updated for 2019:

An ICE 2015 update was made by the RMA and implemented in the System. The following tables have been updated for 2015:

An ICE 2016 update was made by the RMA and implemented in the System. The following tables have been updated for 2016:

An ICE 2017 update was made by the RMA and implemented in the System. The following tables have been updated for 2017:

An ICE 2018 update was made by the RMA and implemented in the System. The following tables have been updated for 2018:

An ICE 2019 update was made by the RMA and implemented in the System. The following tables have been updated for 2019:

An ICE 2015 update was made by the RMA and implemented in the System. The following table has been updated for 2015:

An ICE 2016 update was made by the RMA and implemented in the System. The following table has been updated for 2016:

An ICE 2017 update was made by the RMA and implemented in the System. The following table has been updated for 2017:

An ICE 2018 update was made by the RMA and implemented in the System. The following table has been updated for 2018:

An enhancement was made to allow a user to refresh the FSA CLU data for a grower on a single field or all fields.  This will allow users to grab the last FN/Tract and Field information from the latest CLU layer and have it applied to an existing map.

Written Agreements: In the June 2018 TIPS call, RMA announced that Nursery Catalog submissions would start being handled through ROE to replace the legacy SharePoint site on RMA’s end. The ROE (Regional Office Exception) was a process implemented by RMA for submitting, processing, and tracking Written Agreements in 2014. The new "NY" request type was added to the ICE exception table and will load into ROE once an R35Lite record is created. For the 2019+ RYs, this process will be applicable to and required for all Nursery Catalog requests submitted to the RO. Clarification from RMA confirmed that the R-Record submission and format that exists for Written Agreement requests is applicable to Nursery Catalog requests. The R35, R36, R37, and R10/10A/10B (orP10/10A/10B) records will be required for the Nursery Catalog request. Once R-Records for the Nursery Catalog request are received and logged, RMA will execute the standard ROE process of creating a folder for each request on the Extranet SharePoint site for uploading supporting documentation and notifying the AIP of the folder via the email address associated with the R36. The final decision for approval/denial of the Nursery Catalog "NY" request will be included in the WA ADM_ICE Exception Request table (ICE D03001). At this time, no other WA ADM_ICE tables will be applicable to the Nursery Catalog.

This ticket enhanced the existing Written Agreement request functionality to allow a user to enter and transmit a Nursery Catalog request and to import the RO decision into the System for informational purposes. Currently, when a user selects to Add New Written Agreement, the Request Process defaults to “AC.” If the Request Process of “NY” is saved to the Written Agreement record, some fields on the Written Agreement pages will be removed or the validations will be updated to accommodate the Nursery Catalog requirements. The import of the WA ADM_ICE table will be updated to include the Nursery Catalog records. The update of the Written Agreement record (Maintain Written Agreement page) was also changed to include information applicable to the Nursery Catalog. The process of associating the WA to specific Detail Lines was disabled as no WA ADM_ICE tables (except for the Exception Request table) are applicable to the Nursery Catalog request; this included disabling the entry of Written Agreement Detail Lines and applying the WA Detail Lines to MPCI Detail Lines. The transmission of the Request Number on the P-records was also disabled.

Batch Printing: When a large batch printing job is created, the System, by design, creates multiple PDF files containing the form(s) found to be within the scope of the batch. Very large batch print jobs may spool 10-15 different PDF files. An enhancement request was submitted to streamline the process required when a user wants to download all of the individual PDF files so that it can be done in a single step versus having to save each file in the batch. The scope of the change was the addition of a column header-level Select All checkbox that allows the user to select all of the batches before selecting the Save Selected button.

Perennials: The Perennial APH logic contains calculations for alternate bearing and downward trend calculations when applicable to the APH. A bug was identified that prevented the adjusted Approved APH yield from being carried to the coverage's detail line for use in premium calculation. Because a special case code was applied to the APH (as a result of the yield trend calculation adjustment), RMA wasn't fully validating the accuracy of the premium calculation. The premium line was calculating a premium based on a non-adjusted approved APH yield while the APH reflected the accurate approved yield adjusted for yield trend.

PTY: A bug was identified where the PTY summary unit was not calculating the variable T-yield correctly when there was less than 4 years' history. The System was looking at the first premium line it found with the same Practice/Type and using that T-yield on the APH. For the policy that the bug was reported on, the System found a No Longer Farming unit which had an out-of-date T-yield displayed. The System was using that T-yield for the calculation of all other summary databases without 4 years of actual yields. The logic was updated to always bypass the NLF units when it's completing the lookup for the T-yield calculation.

Perennials: RMA requires a current PAIR be on file any time a Perennial crop has sustained damage prior to the beginning of the insurance period. "Current" for the PAIR is defined by RMA as within the last 5 years. It was reported that Pecans were not triggering a suspension, and during QA testing, it was determined Pecan Trees and FL Citrus were also excluded from the scope of the suspension. All 3 crops have been added to the suspension as part of this ticket.

When the Mark Complete process is run, the System will verify the PAIR date, if one exists on the unit's premium line. If the PAW underwriting question regarding existing damage is answered "yes" and the PAIR date either doesn't exist or is older than 5 years, the System will suspend the coverage for underwriter review.

During research, it was found other Perennial crops were working as expected with regard to the suspension if damage was reported by the grower. It's important to note that the coverage contains a PAW question override that underwriters with the necessary permission can set to bypass all suspensions around PAW questions.

BFR: RMA announced a change to the BFR Application in Bulletin MGR-19-004. With this, these updates were made for the 2019+ RYs:

BULLETIN NO.: MGR-19-004

Additionally, the statements required as a part of Exhibit 19 in the 2019 Document and Supplemental Standards Handbook (FCIC 24040) for the BFR Application, item 4A, should read as follows:

"As provided by me on this form, I certify that I have not had an interest in any crop(s) or livestock for more than 5 crop years (10 years for WFRP) ,"

I understand that any inaccurate certification or BFR benefits beyond 5 crop years (10 years for WFRP) …"

RMA released updated Florida Fruit Tree provisions for the 2020 and succeeding Crop Years (CYs). These have been updated in the System. Provisions print with the MPCI Policy Declaration Page when the print option to print provisions with the form is selected. The MPCI Policy Declaration Page is available to print from the MPCI policy Print tab and from the Batch Printing menu.

Enterprise Units: Following RMA’s release of Multi-County Enterprise Unit (MCEU) Procedures, the necessary changes to accommodate functionality for MCEU were implemented. During development of the first pieces of the new MCEU functionality, some inefficiencies were identified in the code that determines the unit structure the System will apply to the detail lines. It was recommended by senior development staff that this code be refactored to eliminate these inefficiencies and be cleaned up. This included the logic that determines the applicable enterprise unit structure (EU or EP) as well as the logic that determines the unit structure when BU or OU applies. With this refactoring, the System can now better support the current Enterprise Unit functionality as well as the upcoming changes for MCEU. This ticket, TFS #100450, was set up to complete the necessary code refactoring around unit structure determination. Beginning in the 2018 RY (11/30 or later filing date), growers are allowed the flexibility to designate EP on one irrigation practice but another unit structure on the other irrigation practice. For example, a grower may choose EP on irrigated acreage and BU/OU on non-irrigated acreage. Prior to the 2018 RY, a grower could elect Enterprise Units (EU unit structure), which allowed all acreage for the crop in the county to be a single Enterprise Unit if EU qualifications rules were met. In addition, beginning in the 2015 RY, growers could elect Enterprise Units by Practice (EP unit structure code) which allowed one enterprise unit for irrigated acreage and another enterprise unit for non-irrigated acreage, if qualification rules were met. The EU/EP validation is now as follows:

Mark Complete: Reports of coverages being "hung up" in the mark complete process and being stuck in a "processing" state were received. It was determined that a ticket from last November had inadvertently broken the Reset button on the Coverage grid. As a result, users were not able to release the coverages that were stuck and re-mark them complete when the Reset button was used. The workaround is to re-save the coverage and set the coverage to "Incomplete" and then the coverages could be re-marked complete.

SCO: SCO logic on the coverage needed to be adjusted to allow for selection of SCO coverage percentage. A restriction existed in the code to only allow the selection of an SCO coverage percentage for Plan Codes 01, 02, 03, or 90. Once this is opened on the Add New Policy and Add New Coverage page, the user can apply SCO to Plan Code 55 crops beginning with the 2019 RY. The ability to Add New Quote will be covered in the scope of a separate ticket in a later release. Plan Code 55 crops include Hybrid Corn Seed, Hybrid Seed Rice, Hybrid Sorghum Seed, and Hybrid Sweet Corn Seed. Availability of SCO on a state/county basis must be confirmed in the actuarial documents.

Beginning in 2019, users will have the ability to create MP Plus linked Private Product quotes to convert to policies for applicable states/crops. User will be able to see MP Plus as a selection in eligible states. A sales record will be filled out with the elections they wish to include on the policy, which will include Additional Price and Units Covered from the MP Plus tables. Once a user has created a sales record, upon submit coverage, an MP Plus quote will be created. The AIP will then review the quote to determine if it may be accepted: if accepted, an MP Plus policy will be created; if rejected, one will not be created. On the Policy tab, the user will be able to view the sales record information on the placeholder lines.

SRC: Two states, Mississippi and Arkansas, have a higher rate for the High Risk and FAC practice and should allow all HR and FAC acres to come over regardless of whether there is a Written Agreement attached to the coverage. All other states are to be handled as they were in prior years.

The rate determination is to be as follows: Rate determined (either High Risk / FAC rate or normal rate if not HR/FAC on line) * (IPA/100) rounded to 2 decimal places (For example, 6.00 rate determined for Corn in AR at a $50 IPA. Rate would be 6.00 * (50/100) = 3.00. The 3.00 rate would be used in the calculation of premium. All rate calculations are done in this way).

The Private Product Application forms were updated to display the Product Type (e.g., Crop Hail Application). This change is applicable to all Crop Years.

A request was made to make the optional endorsement name display identically on all forms (i.e., Application, Schedule of Insurance, and Confirmation of Coverage).

MPowerD: The MPowerD policy was not showing the intervals that had been elected on the Watts quote in the Policy page. The intervals had been purchased but a display issue was preventing them from displaying. The user will now see all intervals purchased for the MPowerD policy in the policy page.

NOTE: When printing the SOI, there is a known issue where the first page prints blank when multiple intervals are selected; a developer is looking into the issue

Price Flex & Price Flex Prime: Price Flex and Price Flex Prime policies had only 12 intervals available for display in the past as that was the maximum amount of Intervals the user could select on a Watts quote. Now, they have expanded the number of intervals that are offered to the grower, so the Policy page was updated to accommodate this change. The user can now view up to 20 intervals on Watts policies for Price Flex and Price Flex Prime.