| HR 2273 IH
108th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2273
To amend the Federal
Meat Inspection Act and the Poultry Products Inspection Act to authorize
the Secretary of Agriculture to order the recall of meat and poultry that
is adulterated, misbranded, or otherwise unsafe.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 22, 2003
Mr. UDALL of New Mexico (for
himself, Mrs. MCCARTHY of New York, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. RYAN of Ohio, and
Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California) introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Agriculture
A BILL
To amend the Federal
Meat Inspection Act and the Poultry Products Inspection Act to authorize
the Secretary of Agriculture to order the recall of meat and poultry that
is adulterated, misbranded, or otherwise unsafe.
Be it enacted by the
Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in
Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as
the `Unsafe Meat and Poultry Recall Act'.
SEC. 2. RECALL AUTHORITY OVER
MEAT AND MEAT FOOD PRODUCTS.
(a) MANDATORY RECALLS AUTHORIZED-
The Federal Meat Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) is amended--
(1) by redesignating section
411 (21 U.S.C. 681) as section 412; and
(2) by inserting after section
410 (21 U.S.C. 679a) the following new section:
`SEC. 411. NOTIFICATION, NONDISTRIBUTION,
AND RECALL OF ADULTERATED, MISBRANDED, AND OTHER UNSAFE MEAT PRODUCTS.
`(a) MEAT PRODUCT DEFINED-
In this section, the term `meat product' means a carcass, part of a carcass,
meat, or meat food product of cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses, mules,
or other equines covered by this Act.
`(b) NOTIFICATION REQUIRED-
`(1) NOTICE TO SECRETARY-
A person that has reason to believe that a meat product transported, stored,
distributed, or otherwise handled by the person is adulterated, misbranded,
or otherwise in violation of this Act shall immediately notify the Secretary,
in such manner and by such means as the Secretary may by regulation promulgate,
of the identity and location of the meat product.
`(2) EXCEPTIONS- The requirement
to notify the Secretary under paragraph (1) does not extend to household
consumers of meat products and to such other persons as the Secretary may
exempt.
`(c) VOLUNTARY NONDISTRIBUTION
AND RECALL- If the Secretary finds that a meat product is adulterated,
misbranded, or otherwise in violation of this Act and that there is a reasonable
probability that human consumption of the meat product may present a threat
to public health, the Secretary shall provide all appropriate persons,
as determined by the Secretary, that transported, stored, distributed,
or otherwise handled the meat product with an opportunity to--
`(1) cease distribution
of the meat product;
`(2) notify all persons
transporting, storing, distributing, or otherwise handling the meat product,
or to which the meat product has been transported, sold, distributed, or
otherwise handled, to immediately cease distribution of the meat product;
`(3) recall the meat product;
and
`(4) in consultation with
the Secretary, provide notice to consumers to whom the meat product is,
or may have been, distributed.
`(d) MANDATORY ACTIONS-
If a person refuses to or does not voluntarily take the actions described
in subsection (c) with respect to a meat product within the time and in
the manner prescribed by the Secretary, the Secretary may, by order, require
the person to immediately--
`(1) cease distribution
of the meat product;
`(2) notify all persons
transporting, storing, distributing, or otherwise handling the meat product,
or to which the meat product has been transported, sold, distributed, or
otherwise handled, to immediately cease distribution of the meat product;
and
`(3) recall the meat product
or take other appropriate action.
`(e) NOTICE TO CONSUMERS-
Whenever the Secretary orders a mandatory action under subsection (d),
the Secretary shall also provide notice to consumers to whom the meat product
was, or may have been, distributed, to the extent the Secretary considers
necessary.
`(f) NONDISTRIBUTION BY
NOTIFIED PERSONS- A person transporting, storing, distributing, or otherwise
handling a meat product, or to which a meat product has been transported,
sold, distributed, or otherwise handled, that receives notification under
subsection (c) or (d) shall immediately cease distribution of the meat
product.
`(g) VACATION OF ORDER-
If, after providing an opportunity for a hearing on the record, the Secretary
determines that adequate grounds do not exist to continue
the mandatory actions required
by an order issued under subsection (d), the Secretary shall vacate the
order.
`(h) ADDITIONAL REMEDIES-
The remedies provided in this section are in addition to any other remedies
that may be available.'.
(b) DEFINITION OF PERSON-
(1) Section 1 of the Federal Meat Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 601) is amended
by adding at the end the following new subsection:
`(w) PERSON- The term `person'
means any individual, partnership, corporation, association, or other business
unit.'.
(2) The Federal Meat Inspection
Act (21 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) is amended--
(A) by striking `person,
firm, or corporation' each place it appears and inserting `person';
(B) by striking `persons,
firms, and corporations' each place it appears and inserting `persons';
and
(C) by striking `persons,
firms, or corporations' each place it appears and inserting `persons'.
SEC. 3. RECALL AUTHORITY OVER
POULTRY AND POULTRY FOOD PRODUCTS.
(a) MANDATORY RECALLS AUTHORIZED-
The Poultry Products Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 451 et seq.) is amended
by adding at the end the following new section:
`SEC. 31. NOTIFICATION, NONDISTRIBUTION,
AND RECALL OF ADULTERATED, MISBRANDED, AND OTHER UNSAFE POULTRY PRODUCTS.
`(a) NOTIFICATION REQUIRED-
`(1) NOTICE TO SECRETARY-
A person that has reason to believe that a poultry product transported,
stored, distributed, or otherwise handled by the person is adulterated,
misbranded, or otherwise in violation of this Act shall immediately notify
the Secretary, in such manner and by such means as the Secretary may by
regulation promulgate, of the identity and location of the poultry product.
`(2) EXCEPTIONS- The requirement
to notify the Secretary under paragraph (1) does not extend to household
consumers of poultry products and to such other persons as the Secretary
may exempt.
`(b) VOLUNTARY NONDISTRIBUTION
AND RECALL- If the Secretary finds that a poultry product is adulterated,
misbranded, or otherwise in violation of this Act and that there is a reasonable
probability that human consumption of the poultry product may present a
threat to public health, the Secretary shall provide all appropriate persons,
as determined by the Secretary, that transported, stored, distributed,
or otherwise handled the poultry product with an opportunity to--
`(1) cease distribution
of the poultry product;
`(2) notify all persons
transporting, storing, distributing, or otherwise handling the poultry
product, or to which the poultry product has been transported, sold, distributed,
or otherwise handled, to immediately cease distribution of the poultry
product;
`(3) recall the poultry
product; and
`(4) in consultation with
the Secretary, provide notice to consumers to whom the poultry product
is, or may have been, distributed.
`(c) MANDATORY ACTIONS-
If a person refuses to or does not voluntarily take the actions described
in subsection (b) with respect to a poultry product within the time and
in the manner prescribed by the Secretary, the Secretary may, by order,
require the person to immediately--
`(1) cease distribution
of the poultry product;
`(2) notify all persons
transporting, storing, distributing, or otherwise handling the poultry
product, or to which the poultry product has been transported, sold, distributed,
or otherwise handled, to immediately cease distribution of the poultry
product; and
`(3) recall the poultry
product or take other appropriate action.
`(d) NOTICE TO CONSUMERS-
Whenever the Secretary orders a mandatory action under subsection (c),
the Secretary shall also provide notice to consumers to whom the poultry
product was, or may have been, distributed, to the extent the Secretary
considers necessary.
`(e) NONDISTRIBUTION BY
NOTIFIED PERSONS- A person transporting, storing, distributing, or otherwise
handling a poultry product, or to which a poultry product has been transported,
sold, distributed, or otherwise handled, that receives notification under
subsection (b) or (c) shall immediately cease distribution of the poultry
product.
`(f) VACATION OF ORDER-
If, after providing an opportunity for a hearing on the record, the Secretary
determines that adequate grounds do not exist to continue the mandatory
actions required by an order issued under subsection (c), the Secretary
shall vacate the order.
`(g) ADDITIONAL REMEDIES-
The remedies provided in this section are in addition to any other remedies
that may be available.'.
END
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