Meat Promotion Act of 2005 - Amends the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 to replace current mandatory country of origin labeling requirements with a voluntary country of origin labeling program for meat and meat products.
Sets forth: (1) limitations on use of United States country of origin labels; and (2) civil penalties for program violations.
[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1333 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
109th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1333
To amend the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 to establish a
voluntary program for country of origin labeling of meat, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 29, 2005
Mr. Cornyn (for himself, Mrs. Lincoln, Mrs. Hutchison, Mr. Talent, Mr.
Santorum, Mr. Coleman, Mr. Isakson, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Brownback, Mr.
Bond, Mr. Hatch, Mr. Allard, Mr. Alexander, Mr. Martinez, and Mr.
Pryor) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred
to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 to establish a
voluntary program for country of origin labeling of meat, and for other
purposes.
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 ``Meat Promotion Act of 2005''.
SEC. 2. VOLUNTARY PROGRAM FOR COUNTRY OF ORIGIN LABELING FOR MEAT.
(a) Establishment.--The Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7
U.S.C. 1621 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``Subtitle E--Country of Origin Labeling for Meat
``SEC. 291. DEFINITIONS.
``In this subtitle:
``(1) Beef.--The term `beef' means meat produced from
cattle (including veal).
``(2) Covered meat product.--The term `covered meat
product' means ground beef, ground pork, ground lamb, and fresh
muscle cuts of beef, pork, and lamb.
``(3) Lamb.--The term `lamb' means meat produced from
sheep.
``(4) Pork.--The term `pork' means meat produced from
swine.
``(5) Secretary.--The term `Secretary' means the Secretary
of Agriculture.
``SEC. 292. VOLUNTARY PROGRAM.
``The Secretary of Agriculture shall establish a voluntary program
of country of origin labeling for covered meat products.
``SEC. 293. LABEL.
``For purposes of the program established under section 292, the
Secretary shall--
``(1) design a label to be used to designate the country of
origin of covered meat products; and
``(2) require persons participating in the program to use
the label designed under paragraph (1), or such other label as
the Secretary determines appropriate, to designate the country
of origin of covered meat products.
``SEC. 294. LIMITATION ON USE OF UNITED STATES AS COUNTRY OF ORIGIN.
``A person participating in the program established under section
292 may not designate a covered meat product as having the United
States as the country of origin unless the covered meat product is
derived exclusively from--
``(1) an animal born, raised, and slaughtered in the United
States; or
``(2) an animal born and raised in Alaska or Hawaii,
transported for a period not to exceed 60 days outside of those
States, and slaughtered in the United States.
``SEC. 295. VERIFICATION.
``The Secretary may require participants in the program established
under section 292 to maintain a recordkeeping audit trail that will
permit the Secretary to verify compliance with the program.
``SEC. 296. ENFORCEMENT.
``(a) Civil Penalty.--
``(1) Assessment.--The Secretary may assess a civil penalty
against a participant in the program established under section
292 that purposely or knowingly violates the terms of the
program.
``(2) Amount of penalty.--The amount of the civil penalty
assessed under paragraph (1) may not exceed $10,000 for each
violation.
``(3) Continuing violation.--Each day during which a
violation of the program continues shall be considered to be a
separate violation.
``(b) Notice and Hearing.--The Secretary shall not assess a civil
penalty under this section against a person unless the person is given
notice and opportunity for a hearing in accordance with section 554 of
title 5, United States Code, with respect to the violation for which
the person is being assessed.
``SEC. 297. REGULATIONS.
``Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of the
Meat Promotion Act of 2005, the Secretary shall promulgate regulations
to carry out the program established under section 292.''.
(b) Conforming Amendments.--Subtitle D of the Agricultural
Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1638 et seq.) is amended--
(1) in the heading to read as follows:
``Subtitle D--Country of Origin Labeling for Fish, Perishable
Agricultural Commodities, and Peanuts'';
(2) in section 281--
(A) by striking paragraphs (1), (5), and (7);
(B) in paragraph (2)(A)--
(i) by striking clauses (i) and (ii); and
(ii) by redesignating clauses (iii), (iv),
(v), and (vi) as clauses (i), (ii), (iii), and
(iv), respectively; and
(C) by redesignating paragraphs (2), (3), (4), (6),
(8), and (9) as paragraphs (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), and
(6), respectively; and
(3) in section 282--
(A) in subsection (a)(2)--
(i) by striking subparagraphs (A) and (B);
and
(ii) by redesignating subparagraphs (C),
(D), and (E) as subparagraphs (A), (B), and
(C), respectively; and
(B) in subsection (f)(2)--
(i) by striking subparagraphs (A), (B), and
(C); and
(ii) by redesignating subparagraphs (D) and
(E) as subparagraphs (A) and (B).
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S7632-7633)
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
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