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Rogers / 2 Senator Mertz

S.W._____

A BILL
To decrease the subsidizing of farm products that contributes to the increasing obesity epidemic.
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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 Healthy Farm Subsidies Act of 2015.
SECTION 2. FINDINGS
Congress hereby finds and declares that,

1) The obesity epidemic is dated back to the mid-70s, which is when farm policies switched to
concentration on overproducing grain.
2) Farm subsidies are contributing to type 2 diabetes, stroke and heart disease, obesity and all the
things that are driving our huge explosion in health care costs.
3) $8.6 billion in farm subsidies is given to feed grains, and $2.2 billion to soybeans while $1 billion is
given to fruit and vegetables, along with other products.
4) From 1960 to 1999 the percent of adults that were overweight increased by about thirty percent; the
percent of obese adults increased by about fifteen percent.
5) From 1971 to 1999 the percent of children that were overweight increased by about twelve percent;
the percent of children that were obese increased by about ten percent.
6) Declining food prices can account for as much as half of the increase in obesity that has been seen.
7) Seventy to 80% of all farm subsidies are directed toward the 8 commodity crops, which together
cover 74% of US cropland.
8) Processed foods are cheaper calorie for calorie than fruits and vegetables
9) One of the leading causes of cardiovascular disease is obesity, and one of the leading causes of
obesity is the exorbitant consumption of high fructose corn syrup.
10) In 2004, 4% of total US cropland was planted with fruits and vegetables; the remaining land was
dominated by commodity crops.
SECTION 3. STATUTORY LANGUAGE
A) The Healthy Farm Subsidies Act of 2015 shall reduce the $1.5 billion in subsidies given to produce soy beans
as well as the $2.7 billion in subsidies given to produce corn by twenty-five percent (25%) each year for the
next four years so long as they continue to be used mainly for the creation of unhealthy food products that aid
in increasing the obesity epidemic. These food products include, but are not limited to, high fructose corn
syrup, candy, chips and canned tuna. Subsidies will remain at the same levels for farmers who can
demonstrate that they are shifting the sale of their crops from high fructose and other unhealthy products to
healthy produce. Documentation must be maintained that verifies this shift in use of their crops.
B) The Department of Agriculture shall be in charge of monitoring farmers production and distribution of these
food products and ensuring that farmers producing corn and soybeans for these purposes are given no more
than the ten percent reduction amount per year in subsidies. The House Committee on Agriculture shall be
charged with monitoring this bill to ensure that the Department of Agriculture implements it. Farmers shall
provide annual reports to the Department of Agriculture demonstrating their compliance with the bill.
Congress shall review the House Committee on Agricultures annual report to ensure compliance with the
bill.
C) This bill shall be enacted on January 1, 2016. The expiration date for this bill will be January 1, 2021, unless
it is determined through Congressional hearing that some features of this legislation should remain in place in
order to ensure that farmers continue to reduce the distribution of crops for use in unhealthy products.

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