[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 280 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 280

To amend the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 to require retailers of 
  beef, lamb, pork, and perishable agricultural commodities to inform 
 consumers, at the final point of sale to consumers, of the country of 
                       origin of the commodities.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            February 7, 2001

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 to require retailers of 
  beef, lamb, pork, and perishable agricultural commodities to inform 
 consumers, at the final point of sale to consumers, of the country of 
                       origin of the commodities.

    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 ``Consumer Right-to-Know Act of 
2001''.

SEC. 2. COUNTRY OF ORIGIN LABELING.

    The Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1621 et seq.) is 
amended by adding at the end the following:

                ``Subtitle C--Country of Origin Labeling

``SEC. 271. DEFINITIONS.

    ``In this subtitle:
            ``(1) Beef.--The term `beef' means meat produced from 
        cattle (including veal).
            ``(2) Covered commodity.--The term `covered commodity' 
        means--
                    ``(A) muscle cuts of beef, lamb, and pork;
                    ``(B) ground beef, ground lamb, and ground pork; 
                and
                    ``(C) a perishable agricultural commodity.
            ``(3) Food service establishment.--The term `food service 
        establishment' means a restaurant, cafeteria, lunch room, food 
        stand, saloon, tavern, bar, lounge, or other similar facility 
        operated as an enterprise engaged in the business of selling 
        food to the public.
            ``(4) Lamb.--The term `lamb' means meat, other than mutton, 
        produced from sheep.
            ``(5) Perishable agricultural commodity; retailer.--The 
        terms `perishable agricultural commodity' and `retailer' have 
        the meanings given the terms in section 1(b) of the Perishable 
        Agricultural Commodities Act, 1930 (7 U.S.C. 499a(b)).
            ``(6) Pork.--The term `pork' means meat produced from hogs.
            ``(7) Secretary.--The term `Secretary' means the Secretary 
        of Agriculture, acting through the Agricultural Marketing 
        Service.

``SEC. 272. NOTICE OF COUNTRY OF ORIGIN.

    ``(a) In General.--
            ``(1) Requirement.--Except as provided in subsection (b), a 
        retailer of a covered commodity shall inform consumers, at the 
        final point of sale of the covered commodity to consumers, of 
        the country of origin of the covered commodity.
            ``(2) United states country of origin.--A retailer of a 
        covered commodity may designate the covered commodity as having 
        a United States country of origin only if the covered 
        commodity--
                    ``(A) in the case of a covered commodity (other 
                than a perishable agricultural commodity), is 
                exclusively from an animal that is exclusively born, 
                raised, and slaughtered in the United States; and
                    ``(B) in the case of a perishable agricultural 
                commodity, is exclusively produced in the United 
                States.
    ``(b) Exemption for Food Service Establishments.--Subsection (a) 
shall not apply to a covered commodity if the covered commodity is--
            ``(1) prepared or served in a food service establishment; 
        and
            ``(2)(A) offered for sale or sold at the food service 
        establishment in normal retail quantities; or
            ``(B) served to consumers at the food service 
        establishment.
    ``(c) Method of Notification.--
            ``(1) In general.--The information required by subsection 
        (a) may be provided to consumers by means of a label, stamp, 
        mark, placard, or other clear and visible sign on the covered 
        commodity or on the package, display, holding unit, or bin 
        containing the commodity at the final point of sale to 
        consumers.
            ``(2) Labeled commodities.--If the covered commodity is 
        already individually labeled for retail sale regarding country 
        of origin, the retailer shall not be required to provide any 
        additional information to comply with this section.
    ``(d) Audit Verification System.--The Secretary may require that 
any person that prepares, stores, handles, or distributes a covered 
commodity for retail sale maintain a verifiable recordkeeping audit 
trail that will permit the Secretary to ensure compliance with the 
regulations promulgated under section 274.
    ``(e) Information.--Any person engaged in the business of supplying 
a covered commodity to a retailer shall provide information to the 
retailer indicating the country of origin of the covered commodity.

``SEC. 273. ENFORCEMENT.

    ``Section 253 shall apply to a violation of this subtitle.

``SEC. 274. REGULATIONS.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary may promulgate such regulations as 
are necessary to carry out this subtitle.
    ``(b) Partnerships With States.--In promulgating the regulations, 
the Secretary shall, to the maximum extent practicable, enter into 
partnerships with States with enforcement infrastructure to carry out 
this subtitle.

``SEC. 275. APPLICATION.

    ``This subtitle shall apply to the retail sale of a covered 
commodity beginning on the date that is 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this subtitle.''.
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