I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1714 
To reform the Federal sugar program, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 26, 2015 
Mr. PITTS (for himself, Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. GOODLATTE, 
Ms. SPEIER, Mr. DOLD, Ms. KUSTER, Ms. FOXX, Mr. RUSH, Mr. MEAD-
OWS, Mr. FLEISCHMANN, Mr. ROE of Tennessee, Mr. HANNA, Mr. STEW-
ART, Mr. LATTA, Mr. DESJARLAIS, Mr. WOMACK, Mrs. BLACK, Mr. 
CHABOT, Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania, Mr. MASSIE, Mr. HENSARLING, 
Mr. FITZPATRICK, Mr. DENT, Mr. BARLETTA, and Mr. SENSEN-
BRENNER) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Agriculture 
A BILL 
To reform the Federal sugar program, and for other 
purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Sugar Reform Act of 
2015’’. 
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‘‘(B) appropriate to maintain adequate 
supplies at reasonable prices, taking into ac-
count 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 subpara-
graph (B), the’’ and inserting ‘‘ADJUST-
MENTS.—The’’; and 
(B) by striking subparagraph (B). 
(c) SUSPENSION
OR
MODIFICATION
OF
PROVI-
SIONS.—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 PROVI-
SIONS.—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 Sec-
retary determines that the action is appropriate, taking 
into account— 
‘‘(1) the interests of consumers, workers in the 
food industry, businesses (including small busi-
nesses), and agricultural producers; and 
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‘‘(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 inter-
national 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 ade-
quate 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. 
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‘‘(3) MAINTENANCE
OF
REASONABLE
PRICES 
AND AVOIDANCE OF FORFEITURES.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may es-
tablish 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 adjust-
ments under this subsection, the Secretary shall con-
sider the impact of the quotas on consumers, work-
ers, businesses (including small businesses), and ag-
ricultural 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, 
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the Secretary shall promulgate regulations that pro-
vide 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 vol-
untary 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 dura-
tion 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 Ag-
ricultural Adjustment Act of 1938 (7 U.S.C. 1359ll(a)) 
is amended by striking ‘‘2008’’ and inserting ‘‘2015’’. 
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SEC. 4. REPEAL OF FEEDSTOCK FLEXIBILITY PROGRAM 
FOR BIOENERGY PRODUCERS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 9010 of the Farm Secu-
rity and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8110) 
is repealed. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 
(1) Section 359a(3)(B) of the Agricultural Ad-
justment 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’’. 
Æ 
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