Title: Fair Sugar Policy Act of 2019
Policy area: Agriculture and Food

Summary:
Fair Sugar Policy Act of 2019
This bill makes several modifications to the Department of Agriculture's sugar program. Among other modifications, the bill decreases the rate for price support loans, repeals the marketing allotments, revises the administration of import quotas, and repeals the Feedstock Flexibility Program.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4521 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4521

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


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 26, 2019

    Ms. Foxx of North Carolina (for herself, Mr. Danny K. Davis of 
Illinois, Mr. Perry, Mr. Blumenauer, Mr. Chabot, Ms. Speier, Mr. Biggs, 
Mr. Kind, Mr. David P. Roe of Tennessee, Mr. Lipinski, Mr. Fleischmann, 
   Mr. Rush, Mr. Latta, Ms. Kuster of New Hampshire, Mr. Banks, Mr. 
   Kilmer, Mr. Womack, Mr. Ruppersberger, Mr. Budd, Mr. Cooper, Mrs. 
  Walorski, Mr. Swalwell of California, Mr. Meadows, Mr. Veasey, Mr. 
Smucker, and Mr. Kelly of Pennsylvania) introduced the following bill; 
           which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 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 ``Fair Sugar Policy Act of 2019''.

SEC. 2. SUGAR PROGRAM.

    Paragraph (5) of section 156(a) of the Federal Agriculture 
Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 7272(a)) is amended to 
read as follows:
            ``(5) 18.75 cents per pound for raw cane sugar for each of 
        the 2020 through 2024 crop years.''.

SEC. 3. FLEXIBLE MARKETING ALLOTMENTS FOR SUGAR REPEALED.

    Part VII of the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938 (7 U.S.C. 
1359aa et seq.) is amended to read as follows:

            ``PART VII--ADMINISTRATION OF TARIFF RATE QUOTAS

``SEC. 359A. TARIFF RATE QUOTAS.

    ``(a) In General.--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.''.

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''.
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