I 
111TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6024 
To amend the Federal Meat Inspection Act to develop an effective sampling 
and testing program to test for E. coli in boneless beef manufacturing 
trimmings and other raw ground beef components, and for other pur-
poses. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 30, 2010 
Ms. DELAURO (for herself, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mrs. 
LOWEY, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. LEE of California, Mr. MEEKS of New York, 
and Ms. RICHARDSON) introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on Agriculture 
A BILL 
To amend the Federal Meat Inspection Act to develop an 
effective sampling and testing program to test for E. 
coli in boneless beef manufacturing trimmings and other 
raw ground beef components, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘E. coli Traceability 
and Eradication Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. SHIGA TOXIN-PRODUCING E. COLI ERADICATION IN 
GROUND BEEF. 
(a) AMENDMENT.—Title I of the Federal Meat In-
spection Act (21 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) is amended by adding 
at the end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 26. SHIGA TOXIN-PRODUCING E. COLI ERADICATION 
IN GROUND BEEF. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Agriculture 
shall require that slaughterhouses, processing establish-
ments, and grinding facilities described in subsection (b) 
test for and report on the presence of Shiga toxin-pro-
ducing E. coli at the following points: 
‘‘(1) One test at the slaughterhouse or proc-
essing establishment at which source trim was pro-
duced and 1 test of the source trim or bench trim 
at the receiving facility prior to combining with 
other lots from different sources. 
‘‘(2) If the source trim and grinding occurs at 
the same facility, 1 test of the source trim and 1 
test of the final ground product. 
‘‘(b) ADMINISTRATION.—To carry out this section, 
the Secretary shall— 
‘‘(1) publish peer-reviewed, science-based re-
quirements for sampling protocols that establish, for 
each product type— 
‘‘(A) lot size limitations; 
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‘‘(B) sample size and the methodology 
used to calculate the sample size; 
‘‘(C) sample number; 
‘‘(D) the expected power of the sample; 
‘‘(E) in-field and laboratory sampling col-
lection methods; and 
‘‘(F) a standard for validating laboratory 
test methods; 
‘‘(2) at least every two years, publish a peer re-
view of the sampling protocols referred to in para-
graph (1) and any necessary revisions of such proto-
cols; 
‘‘(3) approve establishment sampling protocols 
consistent with the sampling protocols referred to in 
paragraph (1); and 
‘‘(4) in the case of a positive sample that indi-
cates the presence of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli 
in a lot of an establishment— 
‘‘(A) conduct an investigation sufficient to 
identify the original source of contamination 
using sampling protocols that include— 
‘‘(i) collecting documentary evidence; 
and 
‘‘(ii) collecting and analyzing a suffi-
cient number of meat samples from the 
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source lots, as identified by the collection 
of documentary evidence conducted under 
clause (i), to determine the presence or ab-
sence of the pathogen in the source lots 
and the identity of the establishment that 
was the original source of contamination at 
locations that may include— 
‘‘(I) the establishment that tested 
the meat from the original product 
lots; 
‘‘(II) an intermediary processor 
or warehouse holding meat from the 
same original product lots; 
‘‘(III) the establishment that pro-
duced the original product lots; or 
‘‘(IV) a Federally inspected or 
retail establishment that received part 
of the original product lots; 
‘‘(B) verify that meat or meat food prod-
ucts contaminated with Shiga toxin-producing 
E. coli, and the entire lot that is represented by 
the sample, are disposed of or treated to eradi-
cate Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (in accord-
ance with guidelines of the Secretary) before 
entry into commerce; and 
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‘‘(C) promulgate regulations that require 
that the slaughterhouse or processing establish-
ment takes corrective action and takes meas-
ures to prevent reoccurrence. 
‘‘(c) TESTING.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—A slaughterhouse or proc-
essing establishment producing or a grinding facility 
receiving trimmings shall test each lot using sam-
pling standards and procedures determined by the 
Secretary. 
‘‘(2) TESTING FACILITIES.— 
‘‘(A) 
IN
GENERAL.—An 
establishment 
shall use an independent testing facility accred-
ited by the Secretary that uses methods that 
are at least equivalent in specificity and sensi-
tivity to the methods used by the Secretary to 
test beef trimmings. 
‘‘(B) ADMINISTRATION.—In using an inde-
pendent testing facility under subparagraph 
(A), the establishment— 
‘‘(i) shall contract with the facility on 
an annual basis; and 
‘‘(ii) shall not terminate the contract 
on the basis of positive test results re-
ported by the facility. 
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‘‘(3) PROFICIENCY TESTING SERVICE.—A lab-
oratory that tests beef for Shiga toxin-producing E. 
coli shall contract with a testing service to verify the 
proficiency of the laboratory. 
‘‘(4) TRANSMISSION OF TESTING RESULTS.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Test results of any 
testing conducted under this subsection shall be 
delivered, not later than 24 hours after such re-
sults are obtained, to a specific individual des-
ignated by each slaughterhouse, processing es-
tablishment, or grinding facility. 
‘‘(B) TRANSMISSION TO SECRETARY.—The 
slaughterhouse, processing establishment, or 
grinding facility shall report any positive or pre-
sumptive positive results directly to the Sec-
retary through electronic means not later than 
24 hours after receipt of results from a testing 
facility. 
‘‘(5) HABITUAL VIOLATORS.—A slaughterhouse 
or processing establishment that produces or distrib-
utes trim that receives positive results that exceed 
the maximum allowable percentage of positive re-
sults for 3 consecutive days or more than 10 in-
stances per year shall be listed on the public website 
of the Secretary as a habitual violator. 
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‘‘(6) COMPLIANCE.—The Secretary shall take 
necessary regulatory action with respect to an estab-
lishment that fails to test, notify the Secretary of 
positive results, or otherwise comply with this sub-
section. 
‘‘(d) IMPORTED GROUND BEEF.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Any trim, bench trim, and 
ground beef originating from outside the United 
States shall be subject to the same requirements as 
apply to domestic trim, bench trim, and ground beef 
under this section. 
‘‘(2) VERIFICATION.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—To be eligible for im-
portation into the United States, a foreign facil-
ity shall provide a certification of compliance 
with paragraph (1) to a domestic slaughter-
house, processing establishment, or grinding fa-
cility. 
‘‘(B) SECONDARY TESTING.—The domestic 
slaughterhouse, processing establishment, or 
grinding facility shall verify the results of the 
certification by conducting secondary testing of 
the trim, bench trim, or ground beef before 
processing into a final ground beef product.’’. 
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(b) APPLICATION.—Section 26 of the Federal Meat 
Inspection Act, as amended by subsection (a), shall 
apply— 
(1) effective 180 days after the date of the en-
actment of this section, to— 
(A) all slaughterhouses and processing es-
tablishments that produce more than 25,000 
pounds of trim per day; and 
(B) grinding facilities that grind more 
than 25,000 pounds of trim or bench trim per 
day; 
(2) effective December 1, 2011, to— 
(A) all slaughterhouses and processing es-
tablishments that produce more than 5,000 but 
not more than 25,000 pounds of trim per day; 
and 
(B) grinding facilities that grind more 
than 5,000 but not more than 25,000 pounds 
of trim or bench trim per day; 
(3) effective December 1, 2012, to— 
(A) all slaughterhouses and processing es-
tablishments that produce more than 1,000 but 
not more than 5,000 pounds of trim per day; 
and 
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(B) grinding facilities that grind more 
than 1,000 but not more than 5,000 pounds of 
trim or bench trim per day; and 
(4) effective December 1, 2013, to all slaugh-
terhouses, processing establishments, and grinding 
facilities that produce or grind trim or bench trim. 
(c) GRANTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Agriculture 
shall award grants to assist slaughterhouses, proc-
essing establishments, and grinding facilities in com-
plying with section 26 of the Federal Meat Inspec-
tion Act, as amended by subsection (a). 
(2) 
ELIGIBLE
ENTITIES.—Grants 
awarded 
under this subsection are limited to— 
(A) slaughterhouses and processing estab-
lishments that produce not more than 1,000 
pounds of trim per day; and 
(B) grinding facilities that grind not more 
than 1,000 pounds of trim or bench trim per 
day. 
(3) GRANT FUNDING.— 
(A) AMOUNT.—The amount of each grant 
awarded under this subsection shall not exceed 
$10,000. 
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