[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 242 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 242

  To amend the Federal Meat Inspection Act to require the labeling of 
                 imported meat and meat food products.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   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 require the labeling of 
                 imported meat and meat food 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 ``Meat Labeling Act of 1999''.

SEC. 2. LABELING OF IMPORTED MEAT AND MEAT FOOD PRODUCTS.

    (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) Imported pork.--The term `imported pork' means pork 
        that is not United States pork.
            ``(aa) Lamb.--The term `lamb' means meat, other than 
        mutton, produced from sheep.
            ``(bb) Pork.--The term `pork' means meat produced from 
        hogs.
            ``(cc) 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.
            ``(dd) 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.
            ``(ee) United states pork.--
                    ``(1) In general.--The term `United States pork' 
                means pork produced from hogs slaughtered in the United 
                States.
                    ``(2) Exclusion.--The term `United States pork' 
                does not include pork produced from hogs 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)(A) if it is imported beef, imported lamb, or 
        imported pork offered for retail sale as muscle cuts of beef, 
        lamb, or pork and does not bear a label that identifies its 
        country of origin;
            ``(B) if it is United States beef, United States lamb, or 
        United States pork offered for retail sale as muscle cuts of 
        beef, lamb, or pork, and does not bear a label that identifies 
        its country of origin; or
            ``(C) if it is United States or imported ground beef, 
        ground lamb, or ground pork and is not accompanied by labeling 
        that identifies it as United States beef, United States lamb, 
        United States pork, imported beef, imported lamb, imported 
        pork, or other designation that identifies the content of 
        United States beef, imported beef, United States lamb, imported 
        lamb, United States pork, and imported pork contained in the 
        product, as determined by the Secretary.''.
    (c) Labeling.--Section 7 of the Federal Meat Inspection Act (21 
U.S.C. 607) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(g) Mandatory Labeling.--The Secretary shall provide by 
regulation that the following offered for retail sale bear a label that 
identifies its country of origin:
            ``(1) Muscle cuts of United States beef, United States 
        lamb, United States pork, imported beef, imported lamb, and 
        imported pork.
            ``(2) Ground beef, ground lamb, and ground pork.
    ``(h) Audit Verification System for United States and Imported 
Muscle Cuts of Beef, Lamb, and Pork and Ground Beef, Lamb, and Pork.--
The Secretary may require by regulation that any person that prepares, 
stores, handles, or distributes muscle cuts of United States beef, 
imported beef, United States lamb, imported lamb, United States pork, 
imported pork, ground beef, ground lamb, or ground pork for retail sale 
maintain a verifiable recordkeeping audit trail that will permit the 
Secretary to ensure compliance with the regulations promulgated under 
subsection (g).''.
    (d) 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.
    (e) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section take 
effect 60 days after the date on which final regulations are 
promulgated under subsection (d).
                                 <all>