II

103D CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. 1766

To amend the Lime Research, Promotion, and Consumer Information Act

of 1990 to cover seedless and not seeded limes, to increase the exemption

level, to delay the initial referendum date, and to alter the composition

of the Lime Board, and for other purposes.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

NOVEMBER 20 (legislative day, NOVEMBER 2), 1993

Mr. GRAHAM (for himself and Mr. MACK) introduced the following bill; which

was considered, read the third time, and passed

A BILL

To amend the Lime Research, Promotion, and Consumer

Information Act of 1990 to cover seedless and not seeded

limes, to increase the exemption level, to delay the initial

referendum date, and to alter the composition of the

Lime Board, and for other purposes.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Lime Research, Pro5 motion, and Consumer Information Improvement Act’’.

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

7 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following:
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1 (1) The Lime Research, Promotion, and

2 Consumer Information Act of 1990 was enacted on

3 November 28, 1990, for the purpose of establishing

4 an orderly procedure for the development and fi5 nancing of an effective and coordinated program of

6 research, promotion, and consumer information to

7 strengthen the domestic and foreign markets for

8 limes.

9 (2) The lime research, promotion, and

10 consumer information order required by such Act be11 came effective on January 27, 1992.

12 (3) Although the intent of such Act was to

13 cover seedless limes, the definition of the term

14 ‘‘lime’’ in section 1953(6) of such Act applies to

15 seeded limes. Therefore, the Act and the order need

16 to be revised before a research, promotion, and

17 consumer information program on seedless limes can

18 go into effect.

19 (4) Since the enactment of the Lime Research,

20 Promotion, and Consumer Information Act of 1990,

21 the United States production of fresh market limes

22 has plummeted and the volume of imports has risen

23 dramatically. The drop in United States production

24 is primarily due to damage to lime orchards in the

25 State of Florida by Hurricane Andrew in August
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1 1992. United States production is not expected to

2 reach pre-Hurricane Andrew levels for possibly two

3 to three years because a majority of the United

4 States production of limes is in Florida.

5 (b) PURPOSES.—The purpose of this Act is—

6 (1) to revise the definition of the term ‘‘lime’’

7 in order to cover seedless and not seeded limes;

8 (2) to increase the exemption level;

9 (3) to delay the initial referendum date; and

10 (4) to alter the composition of the Lime Board.

11 SEC. 3. DEFINITION OF LIME.

12 Section 1953(6) of the Lime Research, Promotion,

13 and Consumer Information Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C.

14 6202(6)) is amended by striking ‘‘citrus aurantifolia’’ and

15 inserting ‘‘citrus latifolia’’.

16 SEC. 4. REQUIRED TERMS IN ORDERS.

17 (a) COMPOSITION OF LIME BOARD.—Subsection (b)

18 of section 1955 of the Lime Research, Promotion, and

19 Consumer Information Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 6204) is

20 amended—

21 (1) in paragraph (1)(A), by striking ‘‘7’’ and

22 inserting ‘‘3’’;

23 (2) in paragraph (2)(B), by striking ‘‘7’’ and

24 inserting ‘‘3’’;
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1 (3) in paragraph (2)(F), by adding at the end

2 the following new sentence: ‘‘The Secretary shall ter3 minate the initial Board established under this sub4 section as soon as practicable after the date of the

5 enactment of the Lime Research, Promotion, and

6 Consumer Information Improvement Act.’’; and

7 (4) by inserting after paragraph (2)(F) the fol8 lowing new paragraph:

9 ‘‘(G) BOARD ALLOCATION.—The producer

10 and importer representation on the Board shall

11 be allocated on the basis of 2 producer mem12 bers and 1 importer member from the district

13 east of the Mississippi River and 1 producer

14 member and 2 importer members from the dis15 trict west of the Mississippi River.’’.

16 (b) TERMS OF MEMBERS.—Subsection (b)(4) of such

17 section is amended—

18 (1) by striking ‘‘The Secretary’’ and all that

19 follows through ‘‘shall—’’ and inserting ‘‘The initial

20 members of the Board appointed under the amended

21 order shall serve a term of 30 months. Subsequent

22 appointments to the Board shall be for a term of 3

23 years, except that—’’;

24 (2) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘3’’ and

25 inserting ‘‘2’’;
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1 (3) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘4’’ and

2 inserting ‘‘2’’; and

3 (4) in subparagraph (C), by striking ‘‘4’’ and

4 inserting ‘‘3’’.

5 (c) DE MINIMIS EXCEPTION.—Subsection (d)(5) of

6 such section is amended by striking ‘‘35,000’’ each place

7 it appears and inserting ‘‘200,000’’.

8 SEC. 5. INITIAL REFERENDUM.

9 Section 1960(a) of the Lime Research, Promotion,

10 and Consumer Information Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C.

11 6209(a)) is amended by striking ‘‘Not later than 2 years

12 after the date on which the Secretary first issues an order

13 under section 1954(a),’’ and inserting ‘‘Not later than 30

14 months after the date on which the collection of assess15 ments begins under the order pursuant to section

16 1955(d),’’.

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