7.15—Eligibility requirements of county committee members, community committee members, and delegates.
(a)
To be eligible to hold office as a county committee member, community committee member, a delegate, or an alternate to any such office, a person must meet the conditions set forth in this section.
(1)
Be eligible to vote in the local administrative area in which the election is held if proposed for county committee member or alternate, or in the community in which the election is held if proposed for community committee member or alternate;
(2)
(i)
Except as provided in paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of this section, be residing in the local administrative area in which the election is held if proposed for county committee member or alternate, or be residing in the community in which the election is held if proposed for community committee member or alternate.
(ii)
In cases where a State line, a county line, a local administrative area boundary, or a community boundary runs through a farm, eligible persons residing on such farm may hold office in the county or community in which the farm has been determined to be located for program participation purposes. In cases where a candidate has no farming interests in the local administrative area or community in which the person resides or only a token amount, as determined by the State committee, an eligible person may hold office when such person resides in the county and has farming interests in the local administrative area or community in which the person is a candidate.
(4)
Not have been dishonorably discharged from any branch of the armed services; removed for cause from any public office; convicted of any fraud, larceny, embezzlement, or felony, unless any such disqualification is waived by the State committee or the Deputy Administrator;
(5)
Not have been removed as a county committee member, community committee member, delegate, alternate to any such office, or as an employee for: Failure to perform the duties of the office; committing, attempting, or conspiring to commit fraud; incompetence; impeding the effectiveness of any program administered in the county; refusal to carry out or failure to comply with the Department's policy relating to equal opportunity and civil rights, including the equal employment policy, or interfering with others in carrying out such policy; or for violation of official instructions, unless any such disqualification is waived by the State committee or the Deputy Administrator;
(6)
Not have been disqualified for future service because of a determination by a State committee that during previous service as a county committee member, community committee member, delegate, alternate of any such office, or as an employee of the county committee such person has: Failed to perform the duties of such office or employment; committed, attempted, or conspired to commit fraud; impeded the effectiveness of any program administered in the county; in the course of their official duties, refused to carry out or failed to comply with the Department's policy relating to equal opportunity and civil rights, including the equal employment policy, or interfered with others in carrying out such policy; or violated official instructions, unless any such disqualification is waived by the State committee or the Deputy Administrator;
(8)
If the office is that of county committee member, not be a sales agent or employee of the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation during the term of office;
(9)
If the office is that of delegate to the local administrative area or county convention, not have been a county committee member for that county during the 90 days preceding the community election;
(10)
If the office is that of county committee member, not be serving as a county committee member with one or more years following the current election remaining in the term of office; and
(11)
If the office is that of county committee member, not have served three consecutive terms as county committee member just prior to the current election, except that:
(i)
Any partial term served by an alternate who filled a permanent vacancy on the county committee, shall not count toward this three term limitation; and
(ii)
In the case of a person elected to be a national officer or State president of the National Association of Farmer Elected Committeemen, the limitation shall be four consecutive terms.