[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 193 (Wednesday, November 3, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S7749]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 4261. Mr. TESTER (for himself, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Booker, Mr.
Daines, and Mr. Rounds) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed
to amendment SA 3867 submitted by Mr. Reed and intended to be proposed
to the bill H.R. 4350, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2022
for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy,
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
At the appropriate place, insert the following:
SEC. __. 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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