[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4175 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4175

 To amend the meat and poultry inspection laws to extend the mandatory 
   nutrition information labeling requirements of the laws to single-
               ingredient, raw meat and poultry products.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 4, 2000

Mrs. Lowey (for herself, Ms. DeLauro, Mr. Waxman, Ms. Lee, Mrs. Meek of 
Florida, Mr. Brown of Ohio, Ms. Kaptur, Ms. Roybal-Allard, Mr. Hinchey, 
  Ms. Norton, Ms. Pelosi, Mr. Kucinich, and Mr. Foley) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the meat and poultry inspection laws to extend the mandatory 
   nutrition information labeling requirements of the laws to single-
               ingredient, raw meat and poultry products.

    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 ``Fresh Meat and Poultry Consumer 
Awareness Act of 2000''.

SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF MANDATORY NUTRITION INFORMATION LABELING 
              REQUIREMENTS TO SINGLE-INGREDIENT, RAW MEAT AND POULTRY 
              PRODUCTS.

    (a) Inclusion of Nutrition Information as Meat Labeling 
Requirement.--Section 1(n) of the Federal Meat Inspection Act (21 
U.S.C. 601(n)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``or'' at the end of paragraph (11);
            (2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (12) and 
        inserting ``; or''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(13) if it fails to bear a label or include labeling 
        supplying such nutrition information as the Secretary may by 
        regulations prescribe.''.
    (b) Inclusion of Nutrition Information as Poultry Labeling 
Requirement.--Section 1(h) of the Poultry Products Inspection Act (21 
U.S.C. 453(h)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``or'' at the end of paragraph (11);
            (2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (12) and 
        inserting ``; or''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following paragraph:
            ``(13) if it fails to bear a label or include labeling 
        supplying such nutrition information as the Secretary may by 
        regulations prescribe.''.
    (c) Issuance of Regulations.--
            (1) Time for issuance; content.--Not later than one year 
        after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
        Agriculture shall issue final regulations to require nutrition 
        information labeling for single-ingredient, raw meat and 
        poultry products that are sold at retail to consumers. To the 
        extent possible, the regulations for single-ingredient, raw 
        meat and poultry products shall be identical to the current 
        mandatory labeling regulations applicable to processed meat and 
        poultry unless the Secretary determines that a difference in 
        the nutrition information labeling for single-ingredient, raw 
        meat and poultry products will better promote consumer 
        awareness.
            (2) Failure to timely issue.--If the Secretary does not 
        issue the final regulations required by paragraph (1) within 
        the time period specified in that paragraph, the current 
        mandatory labeling regulations applicable to processed meat and 
        poultry shall be deemed to cover single-ingredient, raw meat 
        and poultry products until such time as the Secretary finally 
        issues the regulations required by paragraph (1).
            (3) Definitions.--In this subsection:
                    (A) The term ``current mandatory labeling 
                regulations'' means the regulations set forth in 
                sections 317.300 through 317.400 and 318.400 through 
                318.500 of title 9, Code of Federal Regulations, 
                applicable to processed meat and poultry.
                    (B) The term ``single-ingredient, raw meat and 
                poultry products'' means the major cuts of meat and 
                poultry identified in section 317.344 or 318.444 of 
                title 9, Code of Federal Regulations.
    (d) Effective Date of Amendments.--The amendments made by 
subsections (a) and (b) take effect upon the expiration of the one-year 
period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act.
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