S. 2764 — Introduced in Senate

II 113th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 2764 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES July 31, 2014 Mr. Walsh introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry A BILL To support country-of-origin labeling, ban imports of fresh meat and meat food products from countries with foot-and-mouth disease, reform certain livestock programs, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the American Livestock Protection and Ranching Opportunity Act of 2014. 2. Sense of Congress regarding country of origin labeling It is the sense of Congress that— (1) the overwhelming majority of consumers in the United States want to know where animals used to produce the meat eaten by the consumers is born, raised, and slaughtered; (2) country-of-origin labeling provides information that consumers in the United States have a right to know; and (3) country-of-origin labeling facilitates supply chain information critical for food safety. 3. Prohibition on importation of fresh meat and meat products from countries with foot-and-mouth disease Section 10404 of the Animal Health Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 8303) is amended by adding at the end the following: (d) Prohibition on importation of fresh meat and meat products from countries with foot-and-Mouth disease Notwithstanding any other provision of law, until the date on which the Secretary of Agriculture certifies to Congress that a country is free of foot-and-mouth disease without vaccination, the Secretary may not— (1) allow the importation of fresh meat or meat products from that country; or (2) initiate, administer, finalize, or enforce any rulemaking allowing for the new importation of any fresh meat or meat product from that country. . 4. Brucellosis research and compensation (a) Livestock disease initiative Title IV of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7624 et seq.) is amended by inserting after the title heading the following: 401. Livestock disease initiative (a) In general There is established in the Department a livestock disease initiative under which the Secretary shall provide to eligible entities competitive grants for research and development described in subsection (d). (b) Eligible entities To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, an entity shall be— (1) a Federal agency; (2) a National Laboratory; (3) an institution of higher education; (4) a research institution; or (5) a State agricultural experiment station. (c) Priority In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to research and development relating to bovine brucellosis, bovine tuberculosis, and other zoonotic diseases in livestock that are covered by a high-priority research and extension initiative authorized under section 1672 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5925). (d) Use of grants An entity that receives a grant under this section shall use the grant to conduct research and development relating to surveillance methods, vaccines, vaccination delivery systems, or diagnostic tests for diseases in domestic livestock that present a potential concern to public health and safety, as determined by the Secretary. (e) Matching funds (1) In general In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary may give priority to proposals from eligible entities that provide matching funds for the grants in a manner as determined by the Secretary, but shall not require eligible entities to have matching funds as a requirement of being awarded a grant. (2) Exemption The matching funds requirement under section 1492 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3371) shall not apply in the case of a grant awarded under this section. (f) Authorization of appropriations There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2015 through 2018. . (b) Assistance for losses due to brucellosis Section 1501(c) of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 9081(c)) is amended— (1) in paragraph (1)(A), by inserting or brucellosis after fire condition both places it appears; (2) in paragraph (2)— (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking or at the end; (B) in subparagraph (B), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; or; and (C) by adding at the end the following: (C) brucellosis, as described in paragraph (6). ; and (3) by adding at the end the following: (6) Assistance for losses due to brucellosis (A) In general An eligible livestock producer may receive assistance under this paragraph only if the grazing losses occur due to quarantine of livestock under section 10407 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8306) due to brucellosis infection in the Greater Yellowstone Designated Surveillance Area, as determined by the Secretary. (B) Payment rate The payment rate for assistance under this paragraph shall be equal to 60 percent of the monthly feed cost (as determined under paragraph (3)(C)) for the total number of livestock of the eligible livestock producer subject to quarantine. . 5. Livestock indemnity payments Section 1501(b) of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 9081(b)) is amended by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following: (2) Payment rates Indemnity payments to an eligible producer on a farm under paragraph (1) shall be made at a rate of 75 percent of the higher of, as determined by the Secretary— (A) the market value of the applicable livestock on the earliest day that information is available to the Secretary; or (B) the applicable nationwide price of the applicable livestock for the previous calendar year. . 6. Livestock forage disaster program Section 1501(c)(3)(C) of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 9081(c)(3)(C)) is amended by adding at the end the following: (iv) High-value forage The Secretary may provide for a price adjustment in the monthly feed cost in the case of high-value forage, as determined by the Secretary. .