Tobacco Reduction, Accountability, and Community Enhancement Act of 2003

H.R. 3160, the Tobacco Reduction, Accountability, and Community Enhancement Act of 2003, proposed a major overhaul of the federal tobacco program by ending the traditional system of government-regulated quotas and price supports. To help farmers transition away from these decades-old regulations, the bill would have provided direct payments to tobacco quota holders and active producers, funded by new quarterly assessments on tobacco manufacturers and importers. Additionally, the legislation sought to provide research grants to universities to help rural communities diversify their economies and develop alternative uses for tobacco or new agricultural technologies.