{"data":{"id":"us/7-cfr-634.29","jurisdiction":"us","citation":"7 CFR 634.29","heading":"Violations.","body":"(a) Actions causing violations. The following actions constitute violation of a contract by a participant:\n(1) Knowingly or negligently damaging or causing BMP's to become impaired.\n(2) Adopting a land use or practice during the contract period which tends to defeat the purposes of the program.\n(3) Failing to comply with the terms of the contract.\n(4) Filing a false claim.\n(5) Misusing authorizations for payment.\n(b) Contract termination as a result of violations. (1) By signing a contract, the participant agrees to forfeit all rights to further cost-sharing payments under a contract and to refund all cost-share payments received, with interest, if the administering agency, with the concurrence of the State Conservationist, NRCS, determines that:\n(i) There was a violation of the contract during the time the participant had control of the land; and\n(ii) The violation was of such a nature as to warrant termination of the contract.\n(2) The participant shall be obligated to refund all cost-share payments and all cost shares paid under authorizations, with interest, at the rates established by the Secretary of the Treasury pursuant to Pub. L. 92-41, 85 Stat. 97.\n(c) Payment adjustments and refunds resulting from violations. (1) By signing a contract, the participant agrees to refund cost-share payments received under the contract or to accept payment adjustments if the administering agency determines and the State Conservationist, NRCS, concurs that:\n(i) There was a violation of the contract during the time the participant had control of the land; and\n(ii) The nature of the violation does not warrant termination of the contract.\n(2) Payment adjustments may include decreasing the rate of cost share, or deleting from the contract a cost-share commitment, or withholding cost-share payments earned but not paid. The participant who signs the contract may be obligated to refund cost-share payments.","path":["Title 7—Agriculture","Subtitle B—Regulations of the Department of Agriculture","CHAPTER VI—NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE","SUBCHAPTER D—LONG TERM CONTRACTING","PART 634—RURAL CLEAN WATER PROGRAM","Subpart C—Participant RCWP Contracts"],"source_url":"https://www.ecfr.gov/api/versioner/v1/full/2026-08-25/title-7.xml","current_through":"2026-08-25","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-08-27T02:24:01Z","sha256":"9da6c578537fca743763591ded106c8b31fe61b74842193f2c30e6ea919147b9","source_id":"us-cfr","stale":true,"prev":"us/7-cfr-634.28","next":"us/7-cfr-634.30"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}