July 29, 1998


INFORMATIONAL MEMORANDUM:  R&D-98-034

TO:      All Reinsured Companies
         All Risk Management Field Offices

FROM:    Tim B. Witt     /s/ R. E. Waggoner
         Deputy Administrator

SUBJECT: Issuance of FCIC 24040 Documents Standards Handbook

BACKGROUND:

The Standard Reinsurance Agreement requires reinsured companies to submit for the Federal
Crop Insurance Corporation's approval, all forms incorporated by reference to the eligible crop
insurance contracts reinsured under the Agreement.  To assist reinsured companies, trade
associations, and Risk Management Agency (RMA) in this process, a Document Standards
Handbook (DSH) has been developed.  The development of this handbook involved RMA,
reinsured companies, and others in the private sector who sought to establish procedures,
simplify the process, and to provide form standards that still allowed each reinsured company
individual flexibility in form design.

ACTION:

The DSH is applicable as of the date of issuance and will apply to all newly developed and
revised forms used in the delivery of the Federal crop insurance program.  To afford a smooth
transition for use of the document standards, reinsured companies may continue to use any
supply of previously approved forms not in conformance with these standards until such time as
existing stock is depleted but not later than June 30, 1999.  All companies must be in
conformance with these document standards for eligible crop insurance contracts written and
reinsured for the 2000 reinsurance year.

DISPOSAL:

This Informational Memorandum is for the purpose of transmitting/updating information and the
disposal date is December 31, 1998, for administrative tracking purposes. The attached
Handbook will remain in effect until superseded.

Attachment - will follow in the mail