Meat and Poultry Special Investigator Act of 2022 2022-06-16 Passed House Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act

This bill addresses provisions related to agriculture, food, and fuel, including by providing funds for nutrient management, precision agriculture, and biofuel infrastructure.

Specifically, the bill provides funding for the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to (1) assist agricultural producers with the costs of crop nutrient use or adopting precision agriculture practices, and (2) provide grants to eligible entities (e.g., fueling and distribution facilities) for biofuel infrastructure.

The bill establishes within USDA the Office of the Special Investigator for Competition Matters, which must investigate and prosecute violations of the Packers and Stockyards Act of 1921 by packers and live poultry dealers.

Additionally, USDA must (1) establish an agriculture and food supply chain task force, and (2) provide assistance to address fertilizer shortages and reduce dependency on foreign sources for fertilizer.

The bill allows USDA to make loans and grants for livestock and poultry processing.

Further, the bill incorporates support for precision agriculture into various USDA programs.

USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service must enter into certain cooperative agreements for establishing supply chain regional resource centers to support small- and medium-sized producers of agricultural products and agricultural businesses.

The bill also applies the Reid vapor pressure (a measure of gasoline's volatility) requirements that are applicable to gasoline blended with 10% ethanol (E10) to gasoline blended with more than 10% ethanol. Thus, the waiver given to E10 gasoline, which allows an increase in the Reid Vapor Pressure volatility, is extended to gasoline blended with more than 10% ethanol.

]]> 2022-06-07 Reported to House Meat and Poultry Special Investigator Act of 2022

This bill establishes within the Department of Agriculture (USDA) the Office of the Special Investigator for Competition Matters.

Specifically, the office must use all available tools (e.g., subpoenas) to investigate and prosecute violations of the Packers and Stockyards Act of 1921 by packers and live poultry dealers. Further, the bill grants the office the authority to bring any civil or administrative action authorized by that act against a packer; the office must provide notice to the Department of Justice (DOJ) about such actions brought in federal district court.

Additionally, the office must

  • serve as a liaison to DOJ 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,
  • maintain a staff of attorneys and other professionals with appropriate expertise, and
  • coordinate with the Office of the General Counsel and the Packers and Stockyards Division of USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service to carry out the bill's requirements.
]]> 2022-04-27 Introduced in House Meat and Poultry Special Investigator Act of 2022

This bill establishes within the Department of Agriculture the Office of the Special Investigator for Competition Matters.

Specifically, the office must use all available tools (e.g., subpoenas) to investigate and prosecute violations of the Packers and Stockyards Act of 1921 by packers and live poultry dealers. Further, the bill grants the office the authority to bring any civil or administrative action authorized by that act against a packer.

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.
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