I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2362 
To prioritize the purchase of agricultural commodities from domestically 
owned enterprises, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 25, 2019 
Mr. MEADOWS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Agriculture 
A BILL 
To prioritize the purchase of agricultural commodities from 
domestically owned enterprises, 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 ‘‘American Agriculture 
First Act’’. 
SEC. 2. AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES PURCHASED FROM 
DOMESTICALLY OWNED ENTERPRISES. 
(a) PRIORITIZATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para-
graph (2), if the Secretary of Agriculture determines 
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that response to trade damage from retaliation by 
foreign nations with respect to agricultural commod-
ities is necessary, the Secretary shall, acting through 
the Administrator of the Agricultural Marketing 
Service, purchase at least 75 percent of the agricul-
tural commodities of the Food Purchase and Dis-
tribution Program from domestically owned enter-
prises. 
(2) EXCEPTION.—Paragraph (1) shall not 
apply to the purchases of agricultural commodities 
made 30 days after the date on which the Secretary 
of Agriculture submits to the Committee on Agri-
culture of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry 
of the Senate a report that explains why meeting the 
requirements under paragraph (1)— 
(A) is not possible because agricultural 
commodities available from domestically owned 
enterprises cannot meet the supply needs of the 
Agricultural Marketing Service; or 
(B) would result in a greater than 150 
percent increase between— 
(i) the amount necessary to purchase 
such agricultural commodities; and 
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(ii) the average cost of such agricul-
tural commodities purchased by the Agri-
cultural Marketing Service in the prior 3 
years. 
(3) PUBLICATION OF AWARDS.—In publishing 
the awards made to vendors under the purchase pro-
grams under the Agricultural Marketing Service, the 
Secretary of Agriculture shall include whether the 
entity receiving such an award is a domestically 
owned enterprise. 
(4) WTO OBLIGATIONS.—The Secretary of Ag-
riculture shall carry out this section consistent with 
World Trade Organization obligations of the United 
States. 
(b) REPORT REQUIRED.—For each 90-day period in 
which the Secretary of Agriculture purchases agricultural 
commodities pursuant to subsection (a), the Secretary of 
Agriculture shall submit to the appropriate committees a 
report that includes the amount of each such agricultural 
commodity purchased. 
(c) SUNSET.—The authority under this section shall 
expire on September 30, 2023. 
(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) AGRICULTURAL
COMMODITY.—The term 
‘‘agricultural commodity’’ has the meaning given the 
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term under section 102(1) of the Agricultural Trade 
Act of 1978 (7 U.S.C. 5602(1)). 
(2) APPROPRIATE
COMMITTEES.—The term 
‘‘appropriate committees’’ means the Committee on 
Agriculture of the House of Representatives, the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Rep-
resentatives, the Committee on Ways and Means of 
the House of Representatives, the Committee on Ag-
riculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate, the 
Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate, and 
the Committee on Finance of the Senate. 
(3) DOMESTICALLY OWNED ENTERPRISE.—The 
term ‘‘domestically owned enterprise’’ shall have the 
meaning given the term under section 773.2 of title 
7, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on the 
date of the enactment of this Act). 
Æ 
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