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Uniform Cotton Classing Fees Act of 1987

Public Law 100-108 · H.R. 2971 · 100th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Aug 20, 1987 · Agriculture and Food

Sponsor: Rep. Thomas Huckaby (D-LA-5)

Cosponsors: None

Passage votes

  • HouseVoice vote
  • SenateVoice vote
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Uniform Cotton Classing Fees Act of 1987 - Amends the Cotton Statistics and Estimates Act to extend the Secretary of Agriculture's authority to provide cotton classification services and to collect fees for such services through FY 1992.

Provides that the uniform cotton per bale classification for a crop year shall be the previous year's fee, exclusive of prior adjustments, and as may be adjusted for the percentage change in the Implicit Price Deflator for Gross National Product as indexed during the most recent 12-month period.

Provides that the uniform per bale classification fee for a crop year may be increased, or decreased, by up to one percent for every 100,000 bales produced below, or above, 12,500,000 bales. Stipulates that such adjustments shall not exceed 15 percent unless fees and other income sources will not provide an ending operating reserve of at least ten percent of estimated operating expenses.

Authorizes the Secretary to add a special surcharge or up to five cents a bale if the projected fiscal year ending reserve is less than 25 percent of estimated operating expenses.

Prohibits the Secretary from establishing a uniform per bale classification fee if (when combined with other revenues and adjusted for expenses) doing so will result in a projected operating reserve of more than 25 percent.

States that the Secretary should continue to recognize that central billing can reduce administrative costs.

Directs the Secretary to announce: (1) the uniform classification fee and any crop surcharge by June 1 of the year that such fee applies; and (2) the FY 1987 fee as soon as practicable after enactment of this Act.

Directs the Secretary to: (1) conduct a study (and perform testing as necessary) of the differences between processing efficiency and product quality for Light Spotted and White grade cottons; (2) conduct a survey and research to determine why an increasing proportion of the cotton crop is being classified as Light Spotted; and (3) submit an initial report to the appropriate congressional committees by October 1, 1988, and a final report as soon as practicable.

Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

  • Agriculture Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Cotton, Rice, and Sugar Subcommittee
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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 13 actions.

  1. Aug 20, 1987Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 100-108.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Aug 10, 1987PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Aug 5, 1987FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.
  5. Jul 27, 1987FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
  6. CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Agriculture Committee
  7. Jul 23, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Agriculture Committee
  8. Jul 21, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Cotton, Rice, and Sugar Subcommittee of the House Agriculture Committee
  9. CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Cotton, Rice, and Sugar Subcommittee of the House Agriculture Committee
  10. CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Cotton, Rice, and Sugar Subcommittee of the House Agriculture Committee
  11. CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Cotton, Rice, and Sugar Subcommittee of the House Agriculture Committee
  12. Jul 20, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Agriculture Committee
  13. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
Data notes

Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.

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Official record

The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.