[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 109 (Thursday, June 28, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S4760]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 3378. Mr. TOOMEY (for himself and Mrs. Shaheen) submitted an
amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 3224 proposed by Mr.
Roberts (for himself and Ms. Stabenow) to the bill H.R. 2, to provide
for the reform and continuation of agricultural and other programs of
the Department of Agriculture through fiscal year 2023, and for other
purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
Strike section 9109 and insert the following:
SEC. 9109. FEEDSTOCK FLEXIBILITY PROGRAM FOR BIOENERGY
PRODUCERS TERMINATION.
Section 9010 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act
of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8110) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
``(c) Termination.--The Secretary may not carry out the
feedstock flexibility program under subsection (b) for the
2019 or subsequent crops of eligible commodities.''.
SEC. 9110. SUGAR PROGRAM.
(a) Loan Rates.--Section 156 of the Federal Agriculture
Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 7272) (as
amended by section 1301(a)) is amended by striking
subsections (a) and (b) and inserting the following:
``(a) Sugarcane.--The Secretary shall make loans available
to processors of domestically grown sugarcane at a rate equal
to--
``(1) 18.75 cents per pound for raw cane sugar for the 2018
crop year; and
``(2) 18.00 cents per pound for raw cane sugar for the 2019
through 2023 crop years.
``(b) Sugar Beets.--The Secretary shall make loans
available to processors of domestically grown sugar beets at
a rate equal to 128.5 percent of the loan rate per pound of
raw cane sugar for the applicable crop year under subsection
(a) for each of the 2018 through 2023 crop years.''.
(b) Avoiding Forfeitures While Ensuring Adequate Supplies
at Reasonable Prices.--Section 156(f) of the Federal
Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C.
7272(f)) is amended--
(1) in the subsection heading, by inserting ``While
Ensuring Adequate Supplies at Reasonable Prices'' after
``Forfeitures''; and
(2) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``ensure adequate
supplies of sugar at reasonable prices and'' after ``shall''.
SEC. 9111. ADMINISTRATION OF TARIFF-RATE QUOTAS.
Part VII of subtitle B of title III of the Agricultural
Adjustment Act of 1938 (7 U.S.C. 1359aa et seq.) (as amended
by section 1301(b)) is amended to read as follows:
``PART VII--SUGAR
``SEC. 359. ADMINISTRATION OF TARIFF-RATE QUOTAS.
``(a) Establishment.--At the beginning of fiscal year 2019
and each fiscal year thereafter through the end of the
effective period described in subsection (d), the Secretary
shall establish the tariff-rate quotas for raw cane sugar and
refined sugar to provide adequate supplies of sugar at
reasonable prices, but at no less than the minimum level
necessary to comply with obligations under international
trade agreements that have been approved by Congress.
``(b) Adjustment Authority.--The Secretary shall adjust
tariff-rate quotas established under subsection (a) in such a
manner as to ensure, to the maximum extent practicable, that
stocks of raw cane and refined beet sugar are adequate
throughout the crop year to meet the needs of the
marketplace, including the efficient utilization of cane
refining capacity.
``(c) Transfer of Quota Shares.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall promulgate
regulations that--
``(A) promote full use of the tariff-rate quotas for raw
cane sugar and refined sugar and ensure adequate supplies for
cane refiners in the United States; and
``(B) 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 pursuant to a voluntary
agreement between the transferor and the transferee,
consistent with procedures established by the Secretary.
``(3) Limitations on transfers with respect to fiscal
year.--
``(A) In general.--Any transfer under this subsection shall
be valid only for the duration of the fiscal year during
which the transfer is made.
``(B) Following fiscal year.--No transfer under this
subsection shall affect the share of the quota allocated to
the transferor or transferee for the following fiscal year.
``(d) Effective Period.--This section shall be effective
for fiscal years only through the 2023 crop year for
sugar.''.
______