[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 241 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 241

  To amend the Federal Meat Inspection Act to provide that a quality 
 grade label issued by the Secretary of Agriculture for beef and lamb 
          may not be used for imported beef or imported lamb.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 19, 1999

 Mr. Johnson (for himself and Mr. Enzi) introduced the following bill; 
  which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, 
                        Nutrition, and Forestry

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the Federal Meat Inspection Act to provide that a quality 
 grade label issued by the Secretary of Agriculture for beef and lamb 
          may not be used for imported beef or imported lamb.

    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 ``Truth in Quality Grading Act of 
1999''.

SEC. 2. QUALITY GRADE LABELING OF BEEF AND LAMB.

    (a) Definitions.--Section 1 of the Federal Meat Inspection Act (21 
U.S.C. 601) is amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(w) Beef.--The term `beef' means meat produced from 
        cattle (including veal).
            ``(x) Imported beef.--The term `imported beef' means beef 
        that is not United States beef, whether or not the beef is 
        graded with a quality grade issued by the Secretary.
            ``(y) Imported lamb.--The term `imported lamb' means lamb 
        that is not United States lamb, whether or not the lamb is 
        graded with a quality grade issued by the Secretary.
            ``(z) Lamb.--The term `lamb' means meat, other than mutton, 
        produced from sheep.
            ``(aa) United states beef.--
                    ``(1) In general.--The term `United States beef' 
                means beef produced from cattle slaughtered in the 
                United States.
                    ``(2) Exclusion.--The term `United States beef' 
                does not include beef produced from cattle imported 
                into the United States in sealed trucks for slaughter.
            ``(bb) United states lamb.--
                    ``(1) In general.--The term `United States lamb' 
                means lamb produced from sheep slaughtered in the 
                United States.
                    ``(2) Exclusion.--The term `United States lamb' 
                does not include lamb produced from sheep imported into 
                the United States in sealed trucks for slaughter.''.
    (b) Misbranding.--Section 1(n) of the Federal Meat Inspection Act 
(21 U.S.C. 601(n)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (11), by striking ``or'' at the end;
            (2) in paragraph (12), by striking the period at the end 
        and inserting ``; or''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(13) if it is imported beef or imported lamb and bears a 
        label that indicates a quality grade issued by the 
        Secretary.''.
    (c) Regulations.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall promulgate final 
regulations to carry out the amendments made by this section.
    (d) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section take 
effect 60 days after the date on which final regulations are 
promulgated under subsection (c).
                                 <all>