[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3552 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 3552

 To require that agricultural products imported into the United States 
 be subject to the same sanitary or phytosanitary measures as the same 
         products of the United States, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 31, 2000

 Mrs. Chenoweth-Hage introduced the following bill; which was referred 
 to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committees on 
     Commerce, and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently 
   determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
 provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To require that agricultural products imported into the United States 
 be subject to the same sanitary or phytosanitary measures as the same 
         products of the United States, 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 ``Food Equality Detection Act of 
2000''.

SEC. 2. STANDARDS FOR IMPORTED AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS.

    No agricultural product shall be entered into the customs territory 
of the United States unless the product--
            (1) is subjected to the same control or inspection 
        procedures, and
            (2) meets the same sanitary or phytosanitary standards,
that apply to that agricultural product if produced in the United 
States.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Agricultural product.--The term ``agricultural 
        product'' means any agricultural commodity, food, feed, fiber, 
        or livestock, and insects, and any product thereof.
            (2) Approval procedure.--The term ``approval procedure'' 
        means any registration, notification, or other mandatory 
        administrative procedure for granting permissiom for a good or 
        service to be produced, marketed, or used for a stated purpose 
        or under stated conditions.
            (3) Control or inspection procedure.--The term ``control or 
        inspection procedure'' means any procedure used, directly or 
        indirectly, to determine that a sanitary or phytosanitary 
        measure is fulfilled, including sampling, testing, inspection, 
        evaluation, verification, monitoring, auditing, assurance of 
        conformity, accreditation, registration, certification, or 
        other procedure involving the physical examination of a good, 
        of the packaging of a good, or of the equipment or facilities 
        directly related to production, marketing, or use of a good, 
        but does not mean an approval procedure.
            (4) Sanitary or phytosanitary measure.--
                    (A) In general.--The term ``sanitary or 
                phytosanitary measure'' means a measure to--
                            (i) protect animal or plant life or health 
                        in the United States from risks arising from 
                        the introduction, establishment, or spread of a 
                        pest or disease;
                            (ii) protect human or animal life or health 
                        in the United States from risks arising from 
                        the presence of an additive, contaminant, 
                        toxin, or disease-causing organism in a food, 
                        beverage, or feedstuff;
                            (iii) protect human life or health in the 
                        United States from risks arising from a 
                        disease-causing organism or pest carried by an 
                        animal or plant, or a product thereof; or
                            (iv) prevent or limit other damage in the 
                        United States arising from the introduction, 
                        establishment, or spread of a pest.
                    (B) Form.--The form of a sanitary or phytosanitary 
                measure includes--
                            (i) end product criteria;
                            (ii) a product-related processing or 
                        production method;
                            (iii) a testing, inspection, certification, 
                        or approval procedure;
                            (iv) a relevant statistical method;
                            (v) a sampling procedure;
                            (vi) a method of risk assessment;
                            (vii) a packaging and labeling requirement 
                        directly related to food safety; and
                            (viii) a quarantine treatment, such as a 
                        relevant requirement associated with the 
                        transportation of animals or plants or with 
                        material necessary for their survival during 
                        transportation.
            (5) Sanitary or phytosanitary standard.--The term 
        ``sanitary or phytosanitary standard'' means a standard 
        intended to form a basis for a sanitary or phytosanitary 
        measure.
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