[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2577 Introduced in House (IH)]


104th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2577

To amend the Soybean Promotion, Research, and Consumer Information Act 
   to reinstate the right of soybean producers to demand and receive 
refunds of assessments imposed on producers under the Act, to require a 
 referendum on termination of the soybean research and promotion order 
  issued under the Act, and to require additional referendums at the 
           request of a simple majority of soybean producers.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            November 2, 1995

 Mr. Ewing (for himself and Mr. LaHood) introduced the following bill; 
           which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Soybean Promotion, Research, and Consumer Information Act 
   to reinstate the right of soybean producers to demand and receive 
refunds of assessments imposed on producers under the Act, to require a 
 referendum on termination of the soybean research and promotion order 
  issued under the Act, and to require additional referendums at the 
           request of a simple majority of soybean producers.

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

SECTION 1. REINSTATEMENT OF REFUNDS.

    (a) Refunds.--Section 1969(l)(2)(F) of the Soybean Promotion, 
Research, and Consumer Information Act (7 U.S.C. 6304(l)(2)(F)) is 
amended by adding at the end the following new clause:
                            ``(viii) Reinstatement of refunds.--
                        Notwithstanding clause (ii) or the results of 
                        the poll conducted under clause (iii), 
                        effective October 1, 1995, the qualified State 
                        soybean board and, where no qualified State 
                        soybean board exists, the Board shall make 
                        refunds available to soybean producers at the 
                        end of each fiscal year from escrowed funds, as 
                        provided for in clause (vii).''.
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--Clause (vii) of such section is 
amended--
            (1) in subclause (I), by striking ``clause (ii)'' and 
        inserting ``clauses (ii) and (viii);
            (2) in subclause (II), by striking ``and (vi)'' and 
        inserting ``(vi), and (viii)'';
            (3) in subclause (III), by striking ``or (vi)'' and 
        inserting ``(vi), or (viii)'';
            (4) in subclause (IV), by striking ``clause (ii)'' and 
        inserting ``clause (ii) or (viii); and
            (5) in subclause (V), by striking ``and (vi)'' and 
        inserting ``(vi), and (viii)''.

SEC. 2. REFERENDUM ON TERMINATION OF ORDER AND RELIANCE ON SIMPLE 
              MAJORITY OF SOYBEAN PRODUCERS IN REQUESTS FOR 
              REFERENDUMS.

    (a) Referendum on Termination of Order.--Subsection (b) of section 
1970 of the Soybean Promotion, Research, and Consumer Information Act 
(7 U.S.C. 6305) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph:
            ``(4) Termination referendum.--Not later than September 30, 
        1999, the Secretary of Agriculture shall conduct a referendum 
        among producers who, during a representative period as 
        determined by the Secretary, have been engaged in the 
        production of soybeans for the purpose of determining whether 
        the order then in effect, if any, shall be continued. The 
        Secretary shall conduct the referendum in the manner provided 
        in subsection (a).''.
    (b) Requests for Additional Referenda.--Such subsection is further 
amended in paragraph (1)(B) by striking ``, of which group of 
requesting producers not in excess of one-fifth may be producers in any 
one State, as determined by the Secretary''.
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