Sugar Act Amendments

(LATEST SUMMARY)

Sugar Act Amendments - States that the Secretary of Agriculture shall determine for each calendar year the amount of sugar needed to meet the requirements of consumers in the continental United States, to maintain and protect the domestic sugar industry, and to attain on an annual average basis the price objective set forth in this Act.

Establishes the total amount of apportioned raw values of sugar among domestic sugar producing areas at 6,685,000 short tons, and prescribes the apportionment of that amount.

States that, whenever the production of sugar in any domestic sugar-producing area in any year results in there being available for marketing in the continental United States in any year sugar in excess of the quota for such area for such year established under this Act, the quota for the immediately following year established for such area under this Act shall be increased to the extent of such excess production up to specified limits.

Provides that the quota for the mainland cane sugar area shall be prorated to Florida and Louisiana on the basis of 57.5 percent to Florida and 42.5 percent to Louisiana and each State shall be regarded as a sugar-producing area for such purposes. Provides that each State shall have the right to market the unfilled share of the other State in any year in which such other State is unable to fill its share of the quota.

Authorizes the Secretary on a quarterly basis to set maximum or miminum limits on the importation of sugar within the annual quota for any foreign country. Provides that the Secretary is not authorized to limit the importation of sugar for any foreign country having a quota of 15,000 short tons, raw value, or less through the use of limitations applied on other than a calendar year basis. States that the failure of any foreign country, subject to such reasonable tolerance as the Secretary may determine, to fill a quarterly minimum quota shall operate to reduce the quantity of sugar permitted to be imported for such calendar year by the amount by which such country failed to fill such quarterly quota.

Specifies the prorated amounts of the total quota to be allowed to listed foreign countries.

Allows for quota increases to foreign countries when the Secretary determines that any domestic area or foreign country will not market its quota.

Provides that direct-consumption sugar, produced from quota sugar in the continental United States of a grade, type, or specification determined by the Secretary not to be available in a domestic sugar-producing area outside the continental United States from raw sugar produced in such area, may be marketed within the local consumption quota for such area.

Provides administrative and judicial review for any person adversely affected by the Secretary's determination in a wage rate proceeding.

Authorizes the Secretary to require that all persons employed in the production of sugarcane or sugar beets who travel beyond their State of residence to perform such works, be provided with accident insurance by the employer to cover their travel.

Requires that producers of sugar beets or sugar cane who compensate workers on a piece-rate basis shall have paid, at a minimum, the established minimum hourly wage. Requires that such producers shall have provided an accident insurance plan to cover injuries, disabilities, or deaths occurring while at work for the producer comparable to the workmen's compensation law of the State in which the work is performed.

Provides that no employer may discharge an employee on the basis of such employee's action under this Act, including action to recover the liability of an employer who has not paid him wages at a rate determined to be fair and reasonable by the Secretary.