II
114th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1844
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 23, 2015
Mr. Hoeven (for himself, Ms. Stabenow, Ms. Heitkamp, Mr. Grassley, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Thune, Mr. Brown, Mr. Enzi, 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 Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 to provide for voluntary country of origin labeling for beef, pork, and chicken.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the Voluntary Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) and Trade Enhancement Act of 2015
.
Country of origin labeling requirements for beef, pork, and chicken
Definitions
Section 281 of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1638) is amended—
by striking paragraphs (1) and (7);
by redesignating paragraphs (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (8), and (9) as paragraphs (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), and (7), respectively; and
in paragraph (1)(A) (as redesignated by paragraph (2))—
by striking clause (i) and inserting the following:
muscle cuts of lamb and venison;
;
by striking clause (ii) and inserting the following:
ground lamb and ground venison;
;
in clause (vi), by striking and
at the end;
by striking clause (viii); and
by redesignating clauses (ix), (x), and (xi) as clauses (viii), (ix), and (x), respectively.
Notice of country of origin
Section 282 of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1638a) is amended—
in subsection (a)—
in paragraph (1), by striking subsection (b)
and inserting subsections (b) and (c)
; and
in paragraph (2)—
in the paragraph heading, by striking beef, lamb, pork, chicken,
and inserting lamb,
;
in subparagraphs (A) through (D), by striking beef, lamb, pork, chicken,
each place it appears and inserting lamb,
; and
in subparagraph (E)—
in the subparagraph heading, by striking Ground beef, pork, lamb, chicken,
and inserting Ground lamb,
; and
by striking ground beef, ground pork, ground lamb, ground chicken,
each place it appears and inserting ground lamb,
;
by redesignating subsections (c) through (f) as subsections (d) through (g), respectively;
by inserting after subsection (b) the following:
Voluntary designation of country of origin for beef, pork, and chicken
Definition of packer
In this subsection, the term packer has the meaning given the term in section 201 of the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921 (7 U.S.C. 191).
Voluntary designation
As determined by the Secretary, a packer of beef, pork, or chicken may voluntarily designate any raw single-ingredient beef, pork, or chicken intended for retail sale as exclusively having a United States country of origin only if the beef, pork, or chicken meets the requirements of clause (i), (ii), or (iii) of subsection (a)(2)(A).
Enforcement
The Secretary shall ensure compliance with paragraph (2) in the same manner as the Secretary ensures compliance with subsection (a)(2)(A).
Savings clause
In general
Except as provided in subparagraph (B), nothing in this paragraph affects any other Federal marketing or regulatory program or similar State initiative.
United States country of origin
No Federal agency, State, or political establishment of a State may establish or enforce a statute or administrative action that provides for the labeling of any beef, pork, or chicken intended for retail sale as exclusively having a United States country of origin in a manner that is less stringent than, or otherwise inconsistent with, the requirements of paragraph (2) and subsection (a)(2)(A).
; and
in paragraph (2) of subsection (g) (as redesignated by paragraph (2))—
by striking subparagraphs (B) and (C); and
by redesignating subparagraphs (D) and (E) as subparagraphs (B) and (C), respectively.
