Agricultural Trade Enhancement Act of 1985
Latest action. Committee on Agriculture. Provisions of measure incorporated into measure S. 1714 ordered to be reported.
Agricultural Trade Enhancement Act of 1985 - Establishes an Agricultural Trade Committee composed of the Secretary of Agriculture, the U.S. Trade Representative, and other persons appointed by the President. Directs the Committee to: (1) identify all major unfair trade practices of foreign countries that adversely affect farm commodities and their products; (2) develop recommendations for eliminating or mitigating such adverse effects; and (3) report its findings and recommendations to the President within six months of enactment of this Act. Terminates the Committee after submission of its report. Directs the President, as soon as practicable after submission of such report, to: (1) use any remedies available under any international agreement to eliminate or mitigate the adverse effects of the unfair practices identified by the Committee; and (2) direct the appropriate agencies to take the necessary steps to eliminate or mitigate such adverse effects. Amends the Food for Peace Act of 1966 to authorize the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) to guarantee credits made to finance commercial export sales of agricultural commodities out of private stocks to certain developing countries. Authorizes the CCC to provide intermediate credit financing to promote the export sales of farm commodities. Deletes specified limits on the credit terms for such sales and on the resale or transshipment of such commodities. Directs the Secretary to carry out the CCC export credit sales program including the credit guarantee program using not less than $500,000,000 for each of FY 1985 through 1988. Limits the duration of any restriction imposed on exports of farm commodities or the products of such commodities to 60 days. Prohibits such limitation from applying during a war declared by the Congress.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in Senate" stage on January 3, 1985. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on September 19, 1985: Committee on Agriculture. Provisions of measure incorporated into measure S. 1714 ordered to be reported.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the Senate
- Passage by the House
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 99th Congress (1985-86), 666 of the 9,885 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 6.7 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
JOHN QUAYLE (R-IN) introduced it on January 3, 1985, and 4 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They come from both major parties: 1 Democrat, 3 Republicans.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on January 3, 1985, 15272 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 15013 days ago, on September 19, 1985.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 99th Congress has not finished by January 3, 1987 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- SenateIn committee, no floor vote yet
- HouseAwaits Senate passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers