H.R. 5973 — Introduced in House

I 118th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 5973 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES October 17, 2023Mr. Newhouse (for himself, Mr. Carbajal, Mr. Panetta, Ms. Pingree, and Mr. Valadao) introduced the following bill October 25, 2023Referred to the Committee on Agriculture A BILL To amend the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 to provide for continuous improvement of organic standards, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Continuous Improvement and Accountability in Organic Standards Act or the CIAO Act. 2. Additional guidelines Section 2122(a) of the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 6521(a)) is amended to read as follows: (a) Continuous improvement of organic standards (1) In general Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of the Continuous Improvement and Accountability in Organic Standards Act, and not less frequently than once every 5 years thereafter, the Secretary shall publish in the Federal Register a request for information soliciting the public’s input with respect to which regulations implementing this title should be prioritized for revision during the following five-year period. (2) Implementing recommended changes Based upon the information received pursuant to the request for information under paragraph (1), and in consultation with the National Organic Standards Board, the Secretary shall, not later than 5 years after the date on which a request for information is published under paragraph (1)— (A) publish in the Federal Register a list of proposed changes to the regulations implementing this title that will be prioritized for revision; (B) obtain from the National Organic Standards Board recommendations for each of the proposed changes listed under subparagraph (A), except for any such changes for which the National Organic Standards Board has previously provided recommendations that are sufficient (as determined by the Secretary) for implementation; and (C) after obtaining recommendations from the National Organic Standards Board, and after public notice and an opportunity for comment, revise such regulations accordingly. (3) Considerations When implementing paragraph (2), the Secretary and the National Organic Standards Board shall each consider the best available information, including environmental and ecological data, consumer and market data, organic production and handling practices, organic research, and scientific data. (4) Rules of construction Nothing in this subsection shall be construed as— (A) altering the Secretary’s obligation to consult with the National Organic Standards Board pursuant to section 2104(c); (B) affecting section 2118; or (C) precluding from occurring on a more frequent or urgent timeline any revisions to regulations implementing this title. .