II 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 475 

To reform the Federal sugar program, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 12, 2015 

Mrs. SHAHEEN (for herself, Mr. KIRK, Mr. TOOMEY, Mr. ALEXANDER, Ms. 

AYOTTE, Mr. COATS, Ms. COLLINS, Mr. COONS, Mr. CORKER, Mr. DURBIN, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. HELLER, Mr. JOHNSON, Mr. KAINE, Mr. 

MCCAIN, Mr. PORTMAN, and Mr. WARNER) 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. 

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 ‘‘Sugar Reform Act of 

5 2015’’. 

6 SEC. 2. SUGAR PROGRAM. 

7 (a) SUGARCANE.—Section 156(a) of the Federal Ag8 riculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 

9 7272(a)) is amended— 


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1 (1) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘and’’ after 

2 the semicolon at the end; 

3 (2) in paragraph (4)— 

4 (A) by striking ‘‘2018’’ and inserting 

5 ‘‘2014’’; and 

6 (B) by striking the period at the end and 

7 inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

8 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

9 ‘‘(6) 18 cents per pound for raw cane sugar for 

10 each of the 2015 through 2018 crop years.’’. 

11 (b) SUGAR BEETS.—Section 156(b)(2) of the Federal 

12 Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (7 

13 U.S.C. 7272(b)(2)) is amended by striking ‘‘2009’’ and 

14 inserting ‘‘2015’’. 

15 (c) EFFECTIVE PERIOD.—Section 156(i) of the Fed16 eral Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (7 

17 U.S.C. 7272(i)) is amended by striking ‘‘2008’’ and in18 serting ‘‘2015’’. 

19 SEC. 3. FLEXIBLE MARKETING ALLOTMENTS FOR SUGAR. 

20 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 359b of the Agricultural 

21 Adjustment Act of 1938 (7 U.S.C. 1359bb) is amended— 

22 (1) in subsection (a)(1)— 

23 (A) in the matter before subparagraph (A), 

24 by striking ‘‘2008’’ and inserting ‘‘2017’’; and 


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1 (B) in subparagraph (B), by inserting ‘‘at 

2 reasonable prices’’ after ‘‘stocks’’; and 

3 (2) in subsection (b)(1)— 

4 (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘but’’ 

5 after the semicolon at the end and inserting 

6 ‘‘and’’; and 

7 (B) by striking subparagraph (B) and in8 serting the following: 

9 ‘‘(B) appropriate to maintain adequate do10 mestic supplies at reasonable prices, taking into 

11 account all sources of domestic supply, includ12 ing imports.’’. 

13 (b) ESTABLISHMENT OF FLEXIBLE MARKETING AL14 LOTMENTS.—Section 359c of the Agricultural Adjustment 

15 Act of 1938 (7 U.S.C. 1359cc) is amended— 

16 (1) in subsection (b)— 

17 (A) in paragraph (1)— 

18 (i) in subparagraph (A), by striking 

19 ‘‘but’’ after the semicolon at the end and 

20 inserting ‘‘and’’; and 

21 (ii) by striking subparagraph (B) and 

22 inserting the following: 

23 ‘‘(B) appropriate to maintain adequate 

24 supplies at reasonable prices, taking into acVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:11 Feb 23, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S475.IS S475

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1 count all sources of domestic supply, including 

2 imports.’’; and 

3 (B) in paragraph (2)(B), by inserting ‘‘at 

4 reasonable prices’’ after ‘‘market’’; and 

5 (2) in subsection (g)(1)— 

6 (A) by striking ‘‘ADJUSTMENTS.—’’ and 

7 all that follows through ‘‘Subject to subpara8 graph (B), the’’ and inserting ‘‘ADJUST9 MENTS.—The’’; and 

10 (B) by striking subparagraph (B). 

11 (c) SUSPENSION OR MODIFICATION OF PROVI12 SIONS.—Section 359j of the Agricultural Adjustment Act 

13 of 1938 (7 U.S.C. 1359jj) is amended by adding at the 

14 end the following: 

15 ‘‘(c) SUSPENSION OR MODIFICATION OF PROVI16 SIONS.—Notwithstanding any other provision of this part, 

17 the Secretary may suspend or modify, in whole or in part, 

18 the application of any provision of this part if the Sec19 retary determines that the action is appropriate, taking 

20 into account— 

21 ‘‘(1) the interests of consumers, workers in the 

22 food industry, businesses (including small busi23 nesses), and agricultural producers; and 

24 ‘‘(2) the relative competitiveness of domestically 

25 produced and imported foods containing sugar.’’. 


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1 (d) ADMINISTRATION OF TARIFF RATE QUOTAS.— 

2 Section 359k of the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938 

3 (7 U.S.C. 1359kk) is amended to read as follows: 

4 ‘‘SEC. 359k. ADMINISTRATION OF TARIFF RATE QUOTAS. 

5 ‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Notwithstanding any other 

6 provision of law, at the beginning of the quota year, the 

7 Secretary shall establish the tariff-rate quotas for raw 

8 cane sugar and refined sugar at no less than the minimum 

9 level necessary to comply with obligations under inter10 national trade agreements that have been approved by 

11 Congress. 

12 ‘‘(b) ADJUSTMENT.— 

13 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subsection (a), 

14 the Secretary shall adjust the tariff-rate quotas for 

15 raw cane sugar and refined sugar to provide ade16 quate supplies of sugar at reasonable prices in the 

17 domestic market. 

18 ‘‘(2) ENDING STOCKS.—Subject to paragraphs 

19 (1) and (3), the Secretary shall establish and adjust 

20 tariff-rate quotas in such a manner that the ratio of 

21 sugar stocks to total sugar use at the end of the 

22 quota year will be approximately 15.5 percent. 

23 ‘‘(3) MAINTENANCE OF REASONABLE PRICES

24 AND AVOIDANCE OF FORFEITURES.— 


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1 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may es2 tablish a different target for the ratio of ending 

3 stocks to total use if, in the judgment of the 

4 Secretary, the different target is necessary to 

5 prevent— 

6 ‘‘(i) unreasonably high prices; or 

7 ‘‘(ii) forfeitures of sugar pledged as 

8 collateral for a loan under section 156 of 

9 the Federal Agriculture Improvement and 

10 Reform Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 7272). 

11 ‘‘(B) ANNOUNCEMENT.—The Secretary 

12 shall publicly announce any establishment of a 

13 target under this paragraph. 

14 ‘‘(4) CONSIDERATIONS.—In establishing tariff15 rate quotas under subsection (a) and making adjust16 ments under this subsection, the Secretary shall con17 sider the impact of the quotas on consumers, work18 ers, businesses (including small businesses), and ag19 ricultural producers. 

20 ‘‘(c) TEMPORARY TRANSFER OF QUOTAS.— 

21 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—To promote full use of the 

22 tariff-rate quotas for raw cane sugar and refined 

23 sugar, notwithstanding any other provision of law, 

24 the Secretary shall promulgate regulations that pro25 vide that any country that has been allocated a 


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1 share of the quotas may temporarily transfer all or 

2 part of the share to any other country that has also 

3 been allocated a share of the quotas. 

4 ‘‘(2) TRANSFERS VOLUNTARY.—Any transfer 

5 under this subsection shall be valid only on vol6 untary agreement between the transferor and the 

7 transferee, consistent with procedures established by 

8 the Secretary. 

9 ‘‘(3) TRANSFERS TEMPORARY.— 

10 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Any transfer under 

11 this subsection shall be valid only for the dura12 tion of the quota year during which the transfer 

13 is made. 

14 ‘‘(B) FOLLOWING QUOTA YEAR.—No 

15 transfer under this subsection shall affect the 

16 share of the quota allocated to the transferor or 

17 transferee for the following quota year.’’. 

18 (e) EFFECTIVE PERIOD.—Section 359l(a) of the Ag19 ricultural Adjustment Act of 1938 (7 U.S.C. 1359ll(a)) 

20 is amended by striking ‘‘2008’’ and inserting ‘‘2015’’. 

21 SEC. 4. REPEAL OF FEEDSTOCK FLEXIBILITY PROGRAM 

22 FOR BIOENERGY PRODUCERS. 

23 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 9010 of the Farm Secu24 rity and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8110) 

25 is repealed. 


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1 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 

2 (1) Section 359a(3)(B) of the Agricultural Ad3 justment Act of 1938 (7 U.S.C. 1359aa(3)(B)) is 

4 amended— 

5 (A) in clause (i), by inserting ‘‘and’’ after 

6 the semicolon at the end; 

7 (B) in clause (ii), by striking ‘‘; and’’ at 

8 the end and inserting a period; and 

9 (C) by striking clause (iii). 

10 (2) Section 359b(c)(2)(C) of the Agricultural 

11 Adjustment Act of 1938 (7 U.S.C. 1359bb(c)(2)(C)) 

12 is amended by striking ‘‘, except for’’ and all that 

13 follows through ‘‘of 2002’’. 

Æ 


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