I
104TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2506
To require the President to appoint a Commission on Concentration in the
Livestock Industry.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
OCTOBER 18, 1995
Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota (for himself, Mr. POMEROY, Mr. MINGE, Mr.
LEACH, Mr. LIPINSKI, Mr. LIGHTFOOT, Mr. BARRETT of Nebraska, Mr.
WATTS of Oklahoma, Mr. GANSKE, Mr. GEPHARDT, Mr. BEREUTER, Mr.
COOLEY, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. WILLIAMS, and Ms. DANNER) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and
in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subse-
quently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To require the President to appoint a Commission on
Concentration in the Livestock Industry.
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 ‘‘Livestock Concentra-
tion Report Act of 1995’’.
SEC. 2. APPOINTMENT OF COMMISSION.
Not later than 30 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the President shall appoint a Commis-
sion on Concentration in the Livestock Industry which
shall be composed of the Secretary of Agriculture, who
shall be the chairperson of the Commission, and 2 mem-
bers appointed from among individuals in each of the fol-
lowing categories:
(1) Cattle producers.
(2) Hog producers.
(3) Lamb producers.
(4) Experts in antitrust laws.
(5) Economists.
(6) Corporate chief financial officers.
(7) Corporate procurement experts.
SEC. 3. DUTIES OF COMMISSION.
(a) DUTIES.—The Commission on Concentration in
the Livestock Industry shall—
(1) determine whether the study of concentra-
tion in the red meat packing industry adequately—
(A) examined and identified regional pro-
curement markets for slaughter cattle in the
continental United States;
(B) analyzed the effects that slaughter cat-
tle procurement practices, and concentration in
the procurement of slaughter cattle, have on the
purchasing and pricing of slaughter cattle by
beef packers;
(C) examined the use of captive cattle sup-
ply arrangements by beef packers and the ef-
fects of such arrangements on slaughter cattle
markets;
(D) examined the economics of vertical in-
tegration and of coordination arrangements in
the hog slaughtering and processing industry;
(E) examined the pricing and procurement
by hog slaughtering plants operating in the
eastern corn belt;
(F) reviewed the pertinent research lit-
erature on issues relating to the structure and
operation of the meat packing industry; and
(G) represents, for the matters described
in subparagraphs (A) through (F), the current
situation in the livestock industry compared to
the situation of such industry reflected in the
data on which such study is based; and
(2) review the application of the antitrust laws,
and the operation of other Federal laws applicable,
with respect to concentration and vertical integration
in the procurement and pricing of slaughter cattle
and of slaughter hogs by meat packers;
(3) make recommendations regarding whether
the laws relating to the operation of the meat pack-
ing industry should be modified regarding the con-
centration, vertical integration, and vertical coordi-
nation in such industry;
(4) review the farm-to-retail price spread for
livestock during the period beginning on January 1,
1993, and ending on the date the report is submit-
ted under section 4;
(5) review the adequacy of price data obtained
by the Department of Agriculture under section 203
of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C.
1622);
(6) make recommendations regarding the ade-
quacy of price discovery in the livestock industry for
animals held for market; and
(7) review the lamb industry study completed
by the Department of Justice in 1993.
(b) SOLICITATION OF INFORMATION.—For purposes
of complying with the requirements of paragraphs (2), (3),
and (4) of subsection (a), the Commission on Concentra-
tion in the Livestock Industry shall solicit information
from all parts of the livestock industry, including livestock
producers, livestock marketers, meat packers, meat proc-
essors, and retailers.