,,ii  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #fgj  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,april #i1 #bjac    
,mrs4 ,gillibrand 7for herself and ,ms4 
,collins7 introduced the following bill2
 which was read twice and referred to   
the ,committee on ,agriculture1         
,nutrition1 and ,forestry  ,a ,,bill    
,to improve ,federal dairy programs4    
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,dairy ,pricing ,reform ,act of 
#bjac4  #b4 ,definition of ,secretary   
,in this ,act1 the term ,secretary means
 the ,secretary of ,agriculture4  #c4   
,federal milk marketing order program   
pre-hearing procedure for ,class ,,iii  
pricing  7a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary
 shall use the pre-hearing procedure    
described in this section to determine  
to conduct a hearing to consider        
alternative formulas for ,class ,,iii   
milk product pricing under section #h;c 
of the ,agricultural ,adjustment ,act   
7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #fjh;c71 reenacted with   
amendments by the ,agricultural         

,marketing ,agreement ,act of #aicg4    
7b7 ,requests for proposals  7#a7 ,in   
general ,not later than #fj days after  
the date of enactment of this ,act1 the 
,secretary shall issue a request for the
 submission by interested persons of    
preliminary proposals for replacement of
 the ,class ,,iii milk product pricing  
formula4  7#b7 ,preliminary proposals   
,preliminary proposals submitted under  
paragraph 7#a7--  7,a7 may include      
competitive pay price formulas2 and     
7,b7 shall provide sufficient detail in 
concept to serve as the basis for the   
convening by the ,secretary of a public 
information session for review and      
discussion in accordance with section   
#ijj4bd of title #g1 ,code of ,federal  
,regulations 7as in effect on the date  
of enactment of this ,act71 but need not
 conform with the other procedural      
requirements of part #ijj of title #g1  
,code of ,federal ,regulations 7as in   
effect on the date of enactment of this 
,act74  7c7 ,pre-,hearing information   

session review  7#a7 ,in general ,not   
later than #ahj days after the date of  
enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary  
shall convene a public information      
session under section #ijj4bd of title  
#g1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations 7as  
in effect on the date of enactment of   
this ,act74  7#b7 ,requirements ,the    
,secretary shall review all preliminary 
proposals submitted under this section  
that are of sufficient conceptual detail
 to allow for the review described in   
paragraph 7#a74  7d7 ,hearing           
determination  7#a7 ,in general ,not    
later than #ij days after the conduct of
 the public information session under   
subsection 7c71 the ,secretary shall    
determine whether to conduct a formal   
hearing in accordance with part #ijj of 
title #g1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations
 7as in effect on the date of enactment 
of this ,act74  7#b7 ,hearing to be     
conducted ,if the ,secretary determines 
under paragraph 7#a7 to conduct a formal
 hearing1 the ,secretary shall issue    

notice and conduct the hearing in       
accordance with part #ijj of title #g1  
,code of ,federal ,regulations 7as in   
effect on the date of enactment of this 
,act74  7#c7 ,hearing not to be         
conducted ,if the ,secretary determines 
under paragraph 7#a7 not to conduct a   
formal hearing1 not later than #ij days 
after that determination1 the ,secretary
 shall submit to the ,committee on      
,agriculture of the ,house of           
,representatives and the ,committee on  
,agriculture1 ,nutrition and ,forestry  
of the ,senate a written report that    
explains the basis for the decision4    
7e7 ,proceeding with a hearing at any   
time ,consistent with the purposes of   
this section1 the ,secretary may        
dispense with the pre-hearing           
requirements of this section and        
initiate at any time a formal hearing   
under part #ijj of title #g1 ,code of   
,federal ,regulations 7as in effect on  
the date of enactment of this ,act74    
#d4 ,federal milk marketing orders ,not 

later than #ahj days after the date of  
enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary  
shall conduct hearings--  7#a7 to       
analyze the implications of             
transitioning from a #d-;class system   
for milk products to a #b-;class system2
  7#b7 to explore methods to improve    
signals for price discovery in the      
short- and long-term to allow dairy     
producers to better use risk management 
tools2 and  7#c7 to assess whether a    
#b-;class competitive pay pricing system
 for milk products would be more or less
 transparent than the system in effect  
as of the day before the date of        
enactment of this ,act4