[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 10 (Tuesday, January 25, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S142-S143]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mrs. SHAHEEN (for herself, Mr. Kirk, and Mr. Durbin):
  S. 25. A bill to phase out the Federal sugar program, and for other 
purposes; to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
  Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of 
the bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                 S. 25

       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 ``Stop Unfair Giveaways and 
     Restrictions Act of 2011'' or ``SUGAR Act of 2011''.

     SEC. 2. SUGAR PROGRAM.

       (a) In General.--Section 156 of the Federal Agriculture 
     Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 7272) is 
     amended--
       (1) in subsection (d), by striking paragraph (1) and 
     inserting the following:
       ``(1) Loans.--The Secretary shall carry out this section 
     through the use of recourse loans.'';
       (2) by redesignating subsection (i) as subsection (j);
       (3) by inserting after subsection (h) the following:
       ``(i) Phased Reduction of Loan Rate.--For each of the 2012, 
     2013, and 2014 crops of sugar beets and sugarcane, the 
     Secretary shall lower the loan rate for each succeeding crop 
     in a manner that progressively and uniformly lowers the loan 
     rate for sugar beets and sugarcane to $0 for the 2015 
     crop.''; and
       (4) in subsection (j) (as redesignated), by striking 
     ``2012'' and inserting ``2014''.
       (b) Prospective Repeal.--Effective beginning with the 2015 
     crop of sugar beets and sugarcane, section 156 of the Federal 
     Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 
     7272) is repealed.

     SEC. 3. ELIMINATION OF SUGAR PRICE SUPPORT AND PRODUCTION 
                   ADJUSTMENT PROGRAMS.

       (a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
     law--
       (1) a processor of any of the 2015 or subsequent crops of 
     sugarcane or sugar beets shall not be eligible for a loan 
     under any provision of law with respect to the crop; and
       (2) the Secretary of Agriculture may not make price support 
     available, whether in the form of a loan, payment, purchase, 
     or other operation, for any of the 2015 and subsequent crops 
     of sugar beets and sugarcane by using the funds of the 
     Commodity Credit Corporation or other funds available to the 
     Secretary.
       (b) Termination of Marketing Quotas and Allotments.--
       (1) In general.--Part VII of subtitle B of title III of the 
     Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938 (7 U.S.C. 1359aa et seq.) 
     is repealed.
       (2) Conforming amendment.--Section 344(f)(2) of the 
     Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938 (7 U.S.C. 1344(f)(2)) is 
     amended by striking ``sugar cane for sugar, sugar beets for 
     sugar,''.
       (c) General Powers.--
       (1) Section 32 activities.--Section 32 of the Act of August 
     24, 1935 (7 U.S.C. 612c), is

[[Page S143]]

     amended in the second sentence of the first paragraph--
       (A) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``(other than sugar 
     beets and sugarcane)'' after ``commodities''; and
       (B) in paragraph (3), by inserting ``(other than sugar 
     beets and sugarcane)'' after ``commodity''.
       (2) Powers of commodity credit corporation.--Section 5(a) 
     of the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act (15 U.S.C. 
     714c(a)) is amended by inserting ``, sugar beets, and 
     sugarcane'' after ``tobacco''.
       (3) Price support for nonbasic agricultural commodities.--
     Section 201(a) of the Agricultural Act of 1949 (7 U.S.C. 
     1446(a)) is amended by striking ``milk, sugar beets, and 
     sugarcane'' and inserting ``, and milk''.
       (4) Commodity credit corporation storage payments.--Section 
     167 of the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 
     1996 (7 U.S.C. 7287) is repealed.
       (5) Suspension and repeal of permanent price support 
     authority.--Section 171(a)(1) of the Federal Agriculture 
     Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 7301(a)(1)) is 
     amended--
       (A) by striking subparagraph (E); and
       (B) by redesignating subparagraphs (F) through (I) as 
     subparagraphs (E) through (H), respectively.
       (6) Storage facility loans.--Section 1402(c) of the Farm 
     Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 7971) is 
     repealed.
       (7) Feedstock flexibility program for bioenergy 
     producers.--Effective beginning with the 2013 crop of sugar 
     beets and sugarcane, section 9010 of the Farm Security and 
     Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8110) is repealed.
       (d) Transition Provisions.--This section and the amendments 
     made by this section shall not affect the liability of any 
     person under any provision of law as in effect before the 
     application of this section and the amendments made by this 
     section.

     SEC. 4. TARIFF-RATE QUOTAS.

       (a) Establishment.--Except as provided in subsection (c) 
     and notwithstanding any other provision of law, not later 
     than October 1, 2011, the Secretary of Agriculture shall 
     develop and implement a program to increase the tariff-rate 
     quotas for raw cane sugar and refined sugars for a quota year 
     in a manner that ensures--
       (1) a robust and competitive sugar processing industry in 
     the United States; and
       (2) an adequate supply of sugar at reasonable prices in the 
     United States.
       (b) Factors.--In determining the tariff-rate quotas 
     necessary to satisfy the requirements of subsection (a), the 
     Secretary shall consider the following:
       (1) The quantity and quality of sugar that will be subject 
     to human consumption in the United States during the quota 
     year.
       (2) The quantity and quality of sugar that will be 
     available from domestic processing of sugarcane, sugar beets, 
     and in-process beet sugar.
       (3) The quantity of sugar that would provide for reasonable 
     carryover stocks.
       (4) The quantity of sugar that will be available from 
     carryover stocks for human consumption in the United States 
     during the quota year.
       (5) Consistency with the obligations of the United States 
     under international agreements.
       (c) Exemption.--Subsection (a) shall not include specialty 
     sugar.
       (d) Definitions.--In this section, the terms ``quota year'' 
     and ``human consumption'' have the meaning such terms had 
     under section 359k of the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938 
     (7 U.S.C. 1359kk) (as in effect on the day before the date of 
     the enactment of this Act).

     SEC. 5. APPLICATION.

       Except as otherwise provided in this Act, this Act and the 
     amendments made by this Act shall apply beginning with the 
     2012 crop of sugar beets and sugarcane.
                                 ______