II 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 740 

To prohibit mandatory or compulsory checkoff programs. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 28, 2017 

Mr. LEE introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to 

the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry 

A BILL 

To prohibit mandatory or compulsory checkoff programs. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Voluntary Checkoff 

5 Program Participation Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON MANDATORY OR COMPULSORY 

7 CHECKOFF PROGRAMS. 

8 (a) DEFINITION OF CHECKOFF PROGRAM.—The 

9 term ‘‘checkoff program’’ means a program to promote 

10 and provide research and information for a particular ag11 ricultural commodity without reference to specific proVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:13 Mar 30, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S740.IS S740

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1 ducers or brands, including a program carried out under 

2 any of the following: 

3 (1) The Cotton Research and Promotion Act (7 

4 U.S.C. 2101 et seq.). 

5 (2) The Potato Research and Promotion Act (7 

6 U.S.C. 2611 et seq.). 

7 (3) The Egg Research and Consumer Informa8 tion Act (7 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.). 

9 (4) The Beef Research and Information Act (7 

10 U.S.C. 2901 et seq.). 

11 (5) The Wheat and Wheat Foods Research and 

12 Nutrition Education Act (7 U.S.C. 3401 et seq.). 

13 (6) The Floral Research and Consumer Infor14 mation Act (7 U.S.C. 4301 et seq.). 

15 (7) Subtitle B of the Dairy Production Sta16 bilization Act of 1983 (7 U.S.C. 4501 et seq.). 

17 (8) The Honey Research, Promotion, and Con18 sumer Information Act (7 U.S.C. 4601 et seq.). 

19 (9) The Pork Promotion, Research, and Con20 sumer Information Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 4801 et 

21 seq.). 

22 (10) The Watermelon Research and Promotion 

23 Act (7 U.S.C. 4901 et seq.). 

24 (11) The Pecan Promotion and Research Act of 

25 1990 (7 U.S.C. 6001 et seq.). 


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1 (12) The Mushroom Promotion, Research, and 

2 Consumer Information Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 6101 

3 et seq.). 

4 (13) The Lime Research, Promotion, and Con5 sumer Information Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 6201 et 

6 seq.). 

7 (14) The Soybean Promotion, Research, and 

8 Consumer Information Act (7 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.). 

9 (15) The Fluid Milk Promotion Act of 1990 (7 

10 U.S.C. 6401 et seq.). 

11 (16) The Fresh Cut Flowers and Fresh Cut 

12 Greens Promotion and Information Act of 1993 (7 

13 U.S.C. 6801 et seq.). 

14 (17) The Sheep Promotion, Research, and In15 formation Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.). 

16 (18) Section 501 of the Federal Agriculture Im17 provement and Reform Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 

18 7401). 

19 (19) The Commodity Promotion, Research, and 

20 Information Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 7411 et seq.). 

21 (20) The Canola and Rapeseed Research, Pro22 motion, and Consumer Information Act (7 U.S.C. 

23 7441 et seq.). 


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1 (21) The National Kiwifruit Research, Pro2 motion, and Consumer Information Act (7 U.S.C. 

3 7461 et seq.). 

4 (22) The Popcorn Promotion, Research, and 

5 Consumer Information Act (7 U.S.C. 7481 et seq.). 

6 (23) The Hass Avocado Promotion, Research, 

7 and Information Act of 2000 (7 U.S.C. 7801 et 

8 seq.). 

9 (b) PROHIBITION.—No checkoff program shall be 

10 mandatory or compulsory. 

11 (c) VOLUNTARY PARTICIPATION.—Producer partici12 pation in a checkoff program shall be voluntary at the 

13 point of sale. 

Æ 


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