[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 643 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 643

     To prohibit the Federal Government from providing insurance, 
    reinsurance, or noninsured crop disaster assistance for tobacco.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 24, 1997

Mr. Durbin (for himself, Mr. Gregg, and Mr. Lautenberg) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                  Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To prohibit the Federal Government from providing insurance, 
    reinsurance, or noninsured crop disaster assistance for tobacco.

    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 ``Tobacco Subsidy Reduction Act of 
1997''.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITION OF FEDERAL INSURANCE, REINSURANCE, OR NONINSURED 
              CROP DISASTER ASSISTANCE FOR TOBACCO.

    (a) Crop Insurance.--
            (1) Definition of agricultural commodity.--Section 518 of 
        the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1518) is amended--
                    (A) by striking the section heading and all that 
                follows through ``as used in this title, means'' and 
                inserting the following:

``SEC. 518. DEFINITION OF AGRICULTURAL COMMODITY.

    ``(a) Definition.--In this title, the term `agricultural commodity' 
means'';
                    (B) by striking ``tobacco,''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(b) Exception.--In this title, the term `agricultural commodity' 
does not include tobacco. The Corporation may not insure, provide 
reinsurance for insurers of, or pay any part of the premium related to 
the coverage of a crop of tobacco.''.
            (2) Conforming amendments.--Section 508 of the Federal Crop 
        Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1508) is amended--
                    (A) in the first sentence of subsection (a)(2), by 
                striking ``cases of tobacco and'' and inserting ``case 
                of''; and
                    (B) in subsection (h)(9)(A), by inserting ``, 
                excluding tobacco,'' after ``commodity''.
    (b) Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance.--Section 196(a)(2) of 
Agricultural Market Transition Act (7 U.S.C. 7333(a)(2)) is amended by 
adding at the end the following:
                    ``(C) Crops specifically excluded.--The term 
                `eligible crop' does not include tobacco. The Secretary 
                may not make assistance available under this section to 
                cover losses to a crop of tobacco.''.
    (c) Application of Amendments.--
            (1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), the amendments 
        made by this section shall apply with respect to the 1997 and 
        subsequent crops of tobacco.
            (2) Existing contracts.--The amendments made by this 
        section shall not apply to a contract of insurance of the 
        Federal Crop Insurance Corporation, or a contract of insurance 
        reinsured by the Corporation, in existence on the date of 
        enactment of this Act.

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