[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4199 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4199

To amend the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act 
 of 1998 to establish and carry out a pilot program to use blockchain 
                technology in food safety and labeling.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 16, 2023

   Mr. Soto introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                        Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act 
 of 1998 to establish and carry out a pilot program to use blockchain 
                technology in food safety and labeling.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. PILOT PROGRAM ON THE USE OF BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY IN FOOD 
              SAFETY AND LABELING.

    (a) In General.--Title IV of the Agricultural Research, Extension, 
and Education Reform Act of 1998 is amended by inserting after section 
412 (7 U.S.C. 7632) the following:

``SEC. 413. PILOT PROGRAM ON THE USE OF BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY IN FOOD 
              SAFETY AND LABELING.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the 
Director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, shall 
establish and carry out a pilot program to use blockchain technology in 
food safety and labeling.
    ``(b) Requirements.--The pilot program required under subsection 
(a) shall, to the extent practicable, use blockchain technology for--
            ``(1) tracing--
                    ``(A) food that may be adulterated within the 
                meaning of section 402 of the Federal Food, Drug, and 
                Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 342), the Federal Meat 
                Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 601 et seq.), the Poultry 
                Products Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 451 et seq.), or the 
                Egg Products Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 1031 et seq.); 
                and
                    ``(B) food that has been subject to a voluntary 
                recall or a mandatory recall under section 423 of the 
                Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 3501), 
                the Federal Meat Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 601 et 
                seq.), the Poultry Products Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 
                451 et seq.), or the Egg Products Inspection Act (21 
                U.S.C. 1031 et seq.);
            ``(2) verifying that food labeled as organic has been 
        produced and handled in accordance with standards for organic 
        certification under the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (7 
        U.S.C. 6501 et seq.); and
            ``(3) other purposes as the Secretary determines 
        appropriate.
    ``(c) Memorandum of Understanding.--The Secretary shall enter into 
a memorandum of understanding with the Commissioner of Food and Drugs 
to implement the pilot program.
    ``(d) Duration.--The pilot program shall terminate on the date that 
is four years after the date of the enactment of this section.
    ``(e) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the pilot program 
terminates under subsection (d), the Secretary of Agriculture 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 results of the pilot program.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents for the Agricultural 
Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7601 et 
seq.) is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 412 
the following:

``413. Pilot program on the use of blockchain technology in food safety 
                            and labeling.''.
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