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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4941 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>

118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4941

 To promote meat product innovation, including in specialty meats, and 
value-added meat product development for the economic benefit of United 
     States farmers and their communities, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             August 1, 2024

  Ms. Baldwin introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
   referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
 To promote meat product innovation, including in specialty meats, and 
value-added meat product development for the economic benefit of United 
     States farmers and their communities, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Meat Business Innovation Act of 
2024''.

SEC. 2. MEAT PRODUCT AND BUSINESS INNOVATION INITIATIVES.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Initiative.--The term ``initiative'' means a meat 
        product and business innovation initiative established under 
        subsection (b).
            (2) Meat business.--The term ``meat business'' means a 
        business that develops, processes, produces, markets, or 
        distributes meat products.
            (3) Meat product.--The term ``meat product'' means--
                    (A) a meat food product (as defined in section 1 of 
                the Federal Meat Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 601));
                    (B) a poultry product (as defined in section 4 of 
                the Poultry Products Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 453));
                    (C) a food product from an exotic animal (as 
                defined in section 352.1 of title 9, Code of Federal 
                Regulations (or a successor regulation)); and
                    (D) products derived from byproducts of meat 
                processing for human food or biomedical applications.
            (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Agriculture.
    (b) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish not fewer than 3 
regionally located meat product and business innovation initiatives for 
the purposes of--
            (1) utilizing regional meat production;
            (2) creating higher-value uses for meat products and 
        byproducts;
            (3) promoting business development that diversifies farmer 
        income and small, regional economies through processing and 
        marketing innovation;
            (4) diversifying meat product markets to reduce risk;
            (5) protecting the food supply through proven food safety 
        innovations; and
            (6) enhancing consumer confidence by promoting practices 
        that will improve animal welfare and ensure humane harvesting.
    (c) Selection of Initiatives.--An initiative--
            (1) shall be located in a region with a history of 
        livestock farming and meat processing, including fresh products 
        and those requiring further processing, and a proven track 
        record in food safety;
            (2) shall be positioned in proximity to existing meat 
        industry resources, including research capacity, academic and 
        industry expertise, a density of livestock farms or farmland 
        suitable for livestock, ranching, and meat businesses of all 
        sizes;
            (3) may serve--
                    (A) a certain product niche, such as artisanal 
                meat; or
                    (B) meat businesses with meat products derived from 
                a specific type of animal; and
            (4) shall serve meat businesses in other regions.
    (d) Entities Eligible To Host Initiative.--
            (1) In general.--Any of the following entities may submit 
        to the Secretary an application to host an initiative:
                    (A) A State department of agriculture or other 
                State entity.
                    (B) A nonprofit entity with capacity to provide 
                consultation, expertise, and grant distribution and 
                tracking.
                    (C) An institution of higher education.
                    (D) A cooperative extension service with a history 
                of supporting small- and medium-sized businesses.
            (2) Partners.--An entity described in paragraph (1) may 
        establish partners prior to the submission of the application 
        under that paragraph, or add partners on consultation with the 
        Secretary, which may include--
                    (A) a generic program to promote and provide 
                research and information for meat and meat products;
                    (B) a foundation; or
                    (C) any other entity described in subparagraphs (A) 
                through (D) of that paragraph.
            (3) Preference.--In considering applications from 
        institutions of higher education, the Secretary shall give 
        special consideration to an institution of higher education 
        that has--
                    (A) biomedical, veterinary, microbiology, and 
                entrepreneurship expertise; and
                    (B) expertise in meat science.
    (e) Activities of Initiatives.--
            (1) Direct assistance to meat businesses.--An initiative 
        shall provide assistance to meat businesses in accordance with 
        the following:
                    (A) Provision of direct assistance.--Assistance may 
                be provided directly to meat businesses in a private 
                consultation or through widely available distribution, 
                and may be provided--
                            (i) directly by the entity that hosts the 
                        initiative under subsection (d)(1);
                            (ii) through contracting with industry 
                        experts;
                            (iii) through the provision of technical 
                        assistance, such as informational websites, 
                        webinars, conferences, trainings, plant tours, 
                        and field days; or
                            (iv) through research institutions, 
                        including cooperative extension services.
                    (B) Types of assistance.--Eligible forms of 
                assistance include--
                            (i) business consulting, including business 
                        plan development for processed meat products;
                            (ii) accounting and financial literacy 
                        training;
                            (iii) market evaluation;
                            (iv) strategic planning assistance;
                            (v) training in animal handling, animal 
                        welfare, and humane harvesting practices;
                            (vi) research on product innovation, 
                        including research relating to value-added 
                        products derived from meat byproducts;
                            (vii) marketing and branding assistance, 
                        including market messaging, consumer 
                        assessments, and evaluation of regional, 
                        national, and international markets;
                            (viii) innovation in emerging market 
                        opportunities, including agritourism, and 
                        marketing communication methods;
                            (ix) packaging, distribution, and supply 
                        chain innovation;
                            (x) food safety training and assistance 
                        with the development of effective food safety 
                        programs;
                            (xi) meat product production training, 
                        including in new, rare, or innovative 
                        techniques;
                            (xii) reduction of enteric methane 
                        emissions;
                            (xiii) process and processing facility 
                        improvement, including planning for and 
                        implementing plant upgrades, food safety 
                        modernization, energy and water efficiency, 
                        byproduct reprocessing and use maximization, 
                        and waste treatment; and
                            (xiv) training for Federal and State 
                        inspectors and other professionals who are 
                        critical for growth of the meat industry.
            (2) Competitive grants to meat businesses.--An initiative 
        shall provide competitive grants for new and existing meat 
        businesses for the purposes of--
                    (A) modernization, specialization, and market 
                diversification for livestock farms;
                    (B) value chain and commodity innovation and 
                facility and process updates for meat processors;
                    (C) product development, packaging, and marketing 
                of meat products;
                    (D) innovation in biomanufacturing to address the 
                need for--
                            (i) byproduct reprocessing and use 
                        maximization; and
                            (ii) improving sustainability;
                    (E) providing food safety education and training to 
                better meet shifting regulatory demands;
                    (F) improving and modernizing food safety 
                infrastructure, including technological adaptations, 
                equipment, and food safety programs; and
                    (G) improving and modernizing animal handling 
                safety infrastructure, including technological 
                adaptations, equipment, and animal welfare programs.
    (f) Distribution of Funds.--
            (1) In general.--Of the funds made available to carry out 
        this section, the Secretary shall provide not fewer than 3 
        awards to eligible entities described in subsection (d)(1) for 
        the purposes of carrying out the activities under subsection 
        (e).
            (2) Multiyear funding.--The Secretary is encouraged--
                    (A) to award funds under paragraph (1) in multiyear 
                funding allocations; and
                    (B) to require frequent reporting, as appropriate.
            (3) Use of funds.--
                    (A) In general.--The funds awarded to an eligible 
                entity under paragraph (1) may be used--
                            (i) for program administration of an 
                        initiative, including staff costs;
                            (ii) for research activities that--
                                    (I) directly benefit meat 
                                businesses;
                                    (II) have been identified as 
                                priorities by meat businesses; and
                                    (III) require facilities, 
                                resources, research, education, and 
                                expertise provided by a funded entity 
                                that--
                                            (aa) are necessary for the 
                                        identified research priorities; 
                                        and
                                            (bb) would otherwise not be 
                                        accessible to meat businesses; 
                                        and
                            (iii) for workshops or other informational 
                        sessions that--
                                    (I) directly benefit meat 
                                businesses, processors and 
                                entrepreneurs, and livestock farmers; 
                                or
                                    (II) enhance the capacity of 
                                providers of technical assistance to 
                                meat businesses and livestock 
                                producers.
                    (B) Allocation.--Not less than 50 percent of the 
                funds awarded to an eligible entity under paragraph (1) 
                shall be allocated to directly benefit new meat 
                businesses or meat businesses that wish to update their 
                products or processes using a grant under subsection 
                (e)(2).
            (4) Priority.--In providing direct assistance under 
        subsection (e)(1) and grants under subsection (e)(2), an 
        eligible entity shall give priority to--
                    (A) small- and medium-sized livestock farms and 
                meat businesses;
                    (B) employee-owned meat businesses;
                    (C) cooperatives;
                    (D) meat businesses that establish contracting 
                mechanisms that return profits to farmers who supply 
                their meat;
                    (E) meat businesses that, in addition to salary and 
                wage compensation, return profits to employees;
                    (F) meat businesses that seek to create meat 
                products that add substantial value in processing or 
                marketing, such as specialty meats;
                    (G) meat businesses or allied startup companies 
                that seek to address the increasing volume of otherwise 
                discarded byproducts from animal production waste 
                streams generated by the meat industry; and
                    (H) meat businesses that seek to reduce water 
                usage, carbon footprint, or improve overall 
                sustainability efforts.
            (5) Requirement.--In the case of direct assistance under 
        subsection (e)(1) or a grant under subsection (e)(2) that is 
        provided to a specific meat business and does not benefit the 
        general public, as determined by the Secretary, the assistance 
        or grant shall exclusively be available to meat businesses 
        owned in the United States.
            (6) Supplementation.--To the extent practicable, the 
        Secretary shall ensure that funds provided to an initiative 
        supplement, and do not duplicate or replace, existing meat 
        product research, development, and promotion activities.
    (g) Matching Funding.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall encourage, but not 
        require, an eligible entity described in subsection (d)(1) to 
        provide matching funding to carry out this section.
            (2) Additional funding.--After an initial term of funding 
        provided to an eligible entity described in subsection (d)(1), 
        the Secretary is encouraged to work with the eligible entity to 
        develop additional funding streams to supplement the Federal 
        investment, including from funds of a generic program to 
        promote and provide research and information for a specific 
        agricultural commodity, if the provision of funds is approved 
        by the members of the generic program.
    (h) Reporting.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a 
        report describing the implementation of this section.
            (2) Innovation reports.--The Secretary, in coordination 
        with the Chief Economist, shall publish an annual report on the 
        status of--
                    (A) innovation in meat products;
                    (B) product development under the program under 
                this section;
                    (C) growth areas for meat product development; and
                    (D) barriers inhibiting majority member-owned 
                domestic meat firms from--
                            (i) updating capacity;
                            (ii) performing competitively in the 
                        marketplace; and
                            (iii) returning gains to members or 
                        reinvesting the gains in ways that benefit the 
                        long-term financial stability of the majority 
                        member-owned domestic meat firm and the members 
                        of that firm.
    (i) Funding.--
            (1) Mandatory funding.--Of the funds of the Commodity 
        Credit Corporation, the Secretary shall use to carry out this 
        section $30,000,000, to remain available until expended.
            (2) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized 
        to be appropriated to carry out this section $30,000,000 for 
        each fiscal year.
                                 <all>
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