II 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 2716 

To amend the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 to establish country of 

origin labeling requirements for beef, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 13, 2021 

Mr. THUNE (for himself, Mr. TESTER, Mr. ROUNDS, and Mr. BOOKER) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry 

A BILL 

To amend the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 to establish country of origin labeling requirements for beef, 

and for other purposes. 

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 ‘‘American Beef Label5 ing Act of 2021’’. 

6 SEC. 2. COUNTRY OF ORIGIN LABELING FOR BEEF. 

7 (a) DEFINITIONS.—Section 281 of the Agricultural 

8 Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1638) is amended— 


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•S 2716 IS

1 (1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through 

2 (7) as paragraphs (2) through (8), respectively; 

3 (2) by inserting before paragraph (2) (as so re4 designated) the following: 

5 ‘‘(1) BEEF.—The term ‘beef’ means meat pro6 duced from cattle (including veal).’’; and 

7 (3) in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (2) (as 

8 so redesignated)— 

9 (A) in clause (i), by inserting ‘‘, beef,’’ 

10 after ‘‘lamb’’; and 

11 (B) in clause (ii), by inserting ‘‘, ground 

12 beef,’’ after ‘‘lamb’’. 

13 (b) NOTICE OF COUNTRY OF ORIGIN.—Section 

14 282(a)(2) of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7 

15 U.S.C. 1638a(a)(2)) is amended— 

16 (1) in the paragraph heading, by inserting 

17 ‘‘BEEF,’’ after ‘‘FOR’’; 

18 (2) in each of subparagraphs (A) through (D), 

19 by inserting ‘‘beef,’’ before ‘‘lamb’’ each place it ap20 pears; and 

21 (3) in subparagraph (E)— 

22 (A) in the subparagraph heading, by in23 serting ‘‘BEEF,’’ after ‘‘GROUND’’; and 

24 (B) by inserting ‘‘ground beef,’’ before 

25 ‘‘ground lamb’’ each place it appears. 


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1 (c) MEANS OF REINSTATING MCOOL FOR BEEF.— 

2 (1) DETERMINATION OF MEANS.—Not later 

3 than 180 days after the date of enactment of this 

4 Act, the United States Trade Representative, in con5 sultation with the Secretary of Agriculture, shall de6 termine a means of reinstating mandatory country 

7 of origin labeling for beef in accordance with the 

8 amendments made by subsections (a) and (b) that is 

9 in compliance with all applicable rules of the World 

10 Trade Organization. 

11 (2) IMPLEMENTATION OF MEANS.—Not later 

12 than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, 

13 the United States Trade Representative and the Sec14 retary of Agriculture shall implement the means de15 termined under paragraph (1). 

16 (d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

17 subsections (a) and (b) take effect on the earlier of— 

18 (1) the date on which the Secretary of Agri19 culture publishes a determination in the Federal 

20 Register that the means determined under para21 graph (1) of subsection (c) have been implemented 

22 under paragraph (2) of that subsection; and 

23 (2) the date that is 1 year after the date of en24 actment of this Act. 

Æ 


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