Sugar Reform Act of 2013 - Amends the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 to make loans available to processors of domestically grown sugarcane (18 cents per pound) and sugar beet processors through FY2017.
Amends the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to make specified sugarcane and sugar beet quantity estimates through crop year 2017.
Requires that sugar allotments be appropriate to maintain adequate supplies at reasonable prices, taking into account all domestic supply sources, including imports.
Authorizes the Secretary to suspend or modify marketing allotments, taking into account: (1) the interests of consumers, food industry workers, businesses, and agricultural producers; and (2) the competitiveness of domestically produced and imported foods containing sugar.
Revises sugar tariff-rate quota adjustment provisions to direct the Secretary to: (1) adjust tariff-rates to provide adequate domestic sugar supplies at reasonable prices, (2) establish and adjust tariff-rate quotas so that the ratio of sugar stocks to total sugar use at the end of the quota year will be approximately 15.5%, and (3) promulgate regulations that permit any country that has been allocated a quota share to temporarily transfer all or part of the share to any other country that has also been allocated a quota share.
Extends flexible marketing sugar allotment authority through crop year 2017.
Amends the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to repeal the feedstock flexibility program for bioenergy producers.
[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 345 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 345
To reform the Federal sugar program, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 14, 2013
Mrs. Shaheen (for herself, Mr. Kirk, Mr. Toomey, Mr. Durbin, Mr.
Portman, Mr. Lautenberg, Mr. Corker, Mrs. Feinstein, Ms. Ayotte, and
Mr. Alexander) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To reform the Federal sugar program, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Sugar Reform Act of 2013''.
SEC. 2. SUGAR PROGRAM.
(a) Sugarcane.--Section 156(a) of the Federal Agriculture
Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 7272(a)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (4), by striking ``and'' after the
semicolon at the end;
(2) in paragraph (5), by striking the period at the end and
inserting ``; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(6) 18 cents per pound for raw cane sugar for each of the
2013 through 2017 crop years.''.
(b) Sugar Beets.--Section 156(b)(2) of the Federal Agriculture
Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 7272(b)(2)) is amended by
striking ``2012'' and inserting ``2017''.
(c) Effective Period.--Section 156(i) of the Federal Agriculture
Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 7272(i)) is amended by
striking ``2012'' and inserting ``2017''.
SEC. 3. FLEXIBLE MARKETING ALLOTMENTS FOR SUGAR.
(a) In General.--Section 359b of the Agricultural Adjustment Act of
1938 (7 U.S.C. 1359bb) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)(1)--
(A) in the matter before subparagraph (A), by
striking ``2012'' and inserting ``2017''; and
(B) in subparagraph (B), by inserting ``at
reasonable prices'' after ``stocks''; and
(2) in subsection (b)(1)--
(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``but'' after
the semicolon at the end and inserting ``and''; and
(B) by striking subparagraph (B) and inserting the
following:
``(B) appropriate to maintain adequate domestic
supplies at reasonable prices, taking into account all
sources of domestic supply, including imports.''.
(b) Establishment of Flexible Marketing Allotments.--Section 359c
of the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938 (7 U.S.C. 1359cc) is
amended--
(1) in subsection (b)--
(A) in paragraph (1)--
(i) in subparagraph (A), by striking
``but'' after the semicolon at the end and
inserting ``and''; and
(ii) by striking subparagraph (B) and
inserting the following:
``(B) appropriate to maintain adequate supplies at
reasonable prices, taking into account all sources of
domestic supply, including imports.''; and
(B) in paragraph (2)(B), by inserting ``at
reasonable prices'' after ``market''; and
(2) in subsection (g)(1)--
(A) by striking ``Adjustments.--'' and all that
follows through ``Subject to subparagraph (B), the''
and inserting ``Adjustments.--The''; and
(B) by striking subparagraph (B).
(c) Suspension or Modification of Provisions.--Section 359j of the
Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938 (7 U.S.C. 1359jj) is amended by
adding at the end the following:
``(c) Suspension or Modification of Provisions.--Notwithstanding
any other provision of this part, the Secretary may suspend or modify,
in whole or in part, the application of any provision of this part if
the Secretary determines that the action is appropriate, taking into
account--
``(1) the interests of consumers, workers in the food
industry, businesses (including small businesses), and
agricultural producers; and
``(2) the relative competitiveness of domestically produced
and imported foods containing sugar.''.
(d) Administration of Tariff Rate Quotas.--Section 359k of the
Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938 (7 U.S.C. 1359kk) is amended to
read as follows:
``SEC. 359K. ADMINISTRATION OF TARIFF RATE QUOTAS.
``(a) Establishment.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law,
at the beginning of the quota year, the Secretary shall establish the
tariff-rate quotas for raw cane sugar and refined sugar at no less than
the minimum level necessary to comply with obligations under
international trade agreements that have been approved by Congress.
``(b) Adjustment.--
``(1) In general.--Subject to subsection (a), the Secretary
shall adjust the tariff-rate quotas for raw cane sugar and
refined sugar to provide adequate supplies of sugar at
reasonable prices in the domestic market.
``(2) Ending stocks.--Subject to paragraphs (1) and (3),
the Secretary shall establish and adjust tariff-rate quotas in
such a manner that the ratio of sugar stocks to total sugar use
at the end of the quota year will be approximately 15.5
percent.
``(3) Maintenance of reasonable prices and avoidance of
forfeitures.--
``(A) In general.--The Secretary may establish a
different target for the ratio of ending stocks to
total use if, in the judgment of the Secretary, the
different target is necessary to prevent--
``(i) unreasonably high prices; or
``(ii) forfeitures of sugar pledged as
collateral for a loan under section 156 of the
Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act
of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 7272).
``(B) Announcement.--The Secretary shall publicly
announce any establishment of a target under this
paragraph.
``(4) Considerations.--In establishing tariff-rate quotas
under subsection (a) and making adjustments under this
subsection, the Secretary shall consider the impact of the
quotas on consumers, workers, businesses (including small
businesses), and agricultural producers.
``(c) Temporary Transfer of Quotas.--
``(1) In general.--To promote full use of the tariff-rate
quotas for raw cane sugar and refined sugar, notwithstanding
any other provision of law, the Secretary shall promulgate
regulations that provide that any country that has been
allocated a share of the quotas may temporarily transfer all or
part of the share to any other country that has also been
allocated a share of the quotas.
``(2) Transfers voluntary.--Any transfer under this
subsection shall be valid only on voluntary agreement between
the transferor and the transferee, consistent with procedures
established by the Secretary.
``(3) Transfers temporary.--
``(A) In general.--Any transfer under this
subsection shall be valid only for the duration of the
quota year during which the transfer is made.
``(B) Following quota year.--No transfer under this
subsection shall affect the share of the quota
allocated to the transferor or transferee for the
following quota year.''.
(e) Effective Period.--Section 359l(a) of the Agricultural
Adjustment Act of 1938 (7 U.S.C. 1359ll(a)) is amended by striking
``2012'' and inserting ``2017''.
SEC. 4. REPEAL OF FEEDSTOCK FLEXIBILITY PROGRAM FOR BIOENERGY
PRODUCERS.
(a) In General.--Section 9010 of the Farm Security and Rural
Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8110) is repealed.
(b) Conforming Amendments.--
(1) Section 359a(3)(B) of the Agricultural Adjustment Act
of 1938 (7 U.S.C. 1359aa(3)(B)) is amended--
(A) in clause (i), by inserting ``and'' after the
semicolon at the end;
(B) in clause (ii), by striking ``; and'' at the
end and inserting a period; and
(C) by striking clause (iii).
(2) Section 359b(c)(2)(C) of the Agricultural Adjustment
Act of 1938 (7 U.S.C. 1359bb(c)(2)(C)) is amended by striking
``, except for'' and all that follows through `` of 2002''.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
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