Meat and Poultry Special Investigator Act

Meat and Poultry Special Investigator Act

This bill establishes the Office of the Special Investigator for Competition Matters within the Agricultural Marketing Service's Packers and Stockyards Division.

Specifically, the office must use all available tools (e.g., subpoenas) to investigate and prosecute violations of the Packers and Stockyards Act of 1921 (P&S Act). Further, the bill grants the office the authority to bring any civil or administrative action authorized by that act.

Additionally, the office must

• serve as a liaison to the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission with respect to competition and trade practices in the food and agricultural sector,
• consult with the Department of Homeland Security on national security and critical infrastructure security in the food and agricultural sector, and
• maintain a staff of attorneys and other professionals with appropriate expertise.

As background, the purposes of the P&S Act are to assure fair competition and trade practices, safeguard farmers and ranchers, protect consumers, and protect livestock, meat, and poultry industry members from unfair, deceptive, unjustly discriminatory, and monopolistic practices. Those engaged in the business of marketing livestock, meat, and poultry in commerce are subject to the P&S Act.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1380 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1380

To amend the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921, to establish the Office 
  of the Special Investigator for Competition Matters, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 14, 2025

Mr. Gottheimer introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                        Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921, to establish the Office 
  of the Special Investigator for Competition Matters, 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 and Poultry Special 
Investigator Act''.

SEC. 2. OFFICE OF THE SPECIAL INVESTIGATOR FOR COMPETITION MATTERS.

    The Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921, is amended by inserting after 
section 415 (7 U.S.C. 228d) the following:

``SEC. 416. OFFICE OF THE SPECIAL INVESTIGATOR FOR COMPETITION MATTERS.

    ``(a) Establishment.--There is established within the Packers and 
Stockyards Division of the Department of Agriculture an office, to be 
known as the `Office of the Special Investigator for Competition 
Matters' (referred to in this section as the `Office').
    ``(b) Special Investigator for Competition Matters.--The Office 
shall be headed by the Special Investigator for Competition Matters 
(referred to in this section as the `Special Investigator'), who shall 
be appointed by the Secretary.
    ``(c) Duties.--The Special Investigator shall--
            ``(1) use all available tools, including subpoenas, to 
        investigate and prosecute violations of this Act;
            ``(2) serve as a Department of Agriculture liaison to, and 
        act in consultation with, the Department of Justice and the 
        Federal Trade Commission with respect to competition and trade 
        practices in the food and agricultural sector;
            ``(3) act in consultation with the Department of Homeland 
        Security with respect to national security and critical 
        infrastructure security in the food and agricultural sector; 
        and
            ``(4) maintain a staff of attorneys and other professionals 
        with appropriate expertise.
    ``(d) Prosecutorial Authority.--Notwithstanding title 28, United 
States Code, the Special Investigator shall have the authority to bring 
any civil or administrative action authorized under this Act.''.
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