II 109th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 294 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES February 3, 2005 Mr. Burns (for himself, Mr. Nelson of Nebraska, Mr. Thune, Mr. Thomas, Mr. Hagel, Mr. Roberts, and Mr. Baucus) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry A BILL To strengthen the restrictions of the importation from BSE minimal-risk regions of meat, meat byproducts, and meat food products from bovines.

1.

Restrictions on importation from BSE minimal-risk regions of meat and eligible products from ruminants

(a)

In general

Subject to subsection (b), paragraph (a) of section 94.19 of title 9, Code of Federal Regulations, as amended by the final rule issued by the Secretary of Agriculture on January 4, 2005 (70 Fed. Reg. 551) (and any successor regulations), shall apply only to meat, meat byproducts, and meat food products derived from a bovine that is slaughtered at less than 30 months of age. (b)

Expanded coverage

If the Secretary, in consultation with appropriate officials in the minimal risk region described in section 94.18(a)(3) of such title 9, makes a determination that the region is in full compliance with a ruminant feed ban and other safeguards related to bovine spongiform encephalopathy, the Secretary— (1)shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report on the determination; and (2)may promulgate regulations to allow paragraph 9(a) of section 94.19 of such title 9 to apply to meat, meat byproducts, and meat food products derived from a class of bovines in the region that is determined by the Secretary by the regulations.