[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2036 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2036

To amend the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921, to establish the Office 
  of the Special Investigator for Competition Matters, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 10, 2021

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921, to establish the Office 
  of the Special Investigator for Competition Matters, and for other 
                               purposes.

    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 Packing Special Investigator 
Act''.

SEC. 2. OFFICE OF THE SPECIAL INVESTIGATOR FOR COMPETITION MATTERS.

    The Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921, is amended by inserting after 
section 210 (7 U.S.C. 197c) the following:

``SEC. 211. OFFICE OF THE SPECIAL INVESTIGATOR FOR COMPETITION MATTERS.

    ``(a) Establishment.--There is established within the Packers and 
Stockyards Division of the Department of Agriculture an office, to be 
known as the `Office of the Special Investigator for Competition 
Matters' (referred to in this section as the `Office').
    ``(b) Special Investigator for Competition Matters.--The Office 
shall be headed by the Special Investigator for Competition Matters 
(referred to in this section as the `Special Investigator'), who shall 
be appointed by the Secretary.
    ``(c) Duties.--The Special Investigator shall--
            ``(1) use all available tools, including subpoenas, to 
        investigate and prosecute violations of this Act by packers;
            ``(2) serve as a Department of Agriculture liaison to, and 
        act in consultation with, the Department of Justice and the 
        Federal Trade Commission with respect to competition and trade 
        practices in the food and agricultural sector;
            ``(3) act in consultation with the Department of Homeland 
        Security with respect to national security and critical 
        infrastructure security in the food and agricultural sector; 
        and
            ``(4) maintain a staff of attorneys and other professionals 
        with appropriate expertise.
    ``(d) Prosecutorial Authority.--Notwithstanding title 28, United 
States Code, the Special Investigator shall have the authority to bring 
any civil or administrative action authorized under this Act against a 
packer.''.
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