I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3083
To amend the country of origin labeling requirements of the Agricultural 
Marketing Act of 1946 to specify the model upon which the certification 
program for producers shall be based, to facilitate verification of compli-
ance with the requirements, to impose a schedule of penalties for violation 
of the requirements, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 11, 2003
Mr. PETERSON of Minnesota (for himself, Mr. REHBERG, Mr. HEFLEY, Mr. 
OBERSTAR, Mr. JANKLOW, and Ms. MCCOLLUM) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture 
A BILL 
To amend the country of origin labeling requirements of 
the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 to specify the 
model upon which the certification program for producers 
shall be based, to facilitate verification of compliance 
with the requirements, to impose a schedule of penalties 
for violation of the requirements, 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 ‘‘Country of Origin La-
beling Amendment Act of 2003’’.
SEC. 2. REVISED COUNTRY OF ORIGIN LABELING REQUIRE-
MENTS. 
The Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 is amended 
by striking subtitle D (7 U.S.C. 1638 et seq.) and insert-
ing the following new subtitle: 
‘‘Subtitle D—Country of Origin 
Labeling 
‘‘SEC. 281. DEFINITIONS. 
‘‘In this subtitle: 
‘‘(1) BEEF.—The term ‘beef’ means meat pro-
duced from cattle (including veal). 
‘‘(2) COVERED COMMODITY.—
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The term ‘covered 
commodity’ means—
‘‘(i) muscle cuts of beef, lamb, and 
pork; 
‘‘(ii) ground beef, ground lamb, and 
ground pork; 
‘‘(iii) farm-raised fish; 
‘‘(iv) wild fish; 
‘‘(v) a perishable agricultural com-
modity; and 
‘‘(vi) peanuts. 
‘‘(B) EXCLUSIONS.—The term ‘covered 
commodity’ does not include an item described
in subparagraph (A) if the item is an ingredient 
in a processed food item. 
‘‘(3) FARM-RAISED
FISH.—The term ‘farm-
raised fish’ includes—
‘‘(A) farm-raised shellfish; and 
‘‘(B) fillets, steaks, nuggets, and any other 
flesh from a farm-raised fish or shellfish. 
‘‘(4) FOOD
SERVICE
ESTABLISHMENT.—The 
term ‘food service establishment’ means a res-
taurant, cafeteria, lunch room, food stand, saloon, 
tavern, bar, lounge, or other similar facility operated 
as an enterprise engaged in the business of selling 
food to the public. The term may include a retailer, 
but only to the extent that the retailer provides a 
salad bar or prepared-food bar containing ready-to-
eat food that the consumer packages for purchase. 
‘‘(5) LAMB.—The term ‘lamb’ means meat, 
other than mutton, produced from sheep. 
‘‘(6) PERISHABLE AGRICULTURAL COMMODITY; 
RETAILER.—The terms ‘perishable agricultural com-
modity’ and ‘retailer’ have the meanings given the 
terms in section 1(b) of the Perishable Agricultural 
Commodities Act of 1930 (7 U.S.C. 499a(b)). 
‘‘(7) PORK.—The term ‘pork’ means meat pro-
duced from hogs.
‘‘(8) SECRETARY.—The term ‘Secretary’ means 
the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Ag-
ricultural Marketing Service. 
‘‘(9) WILD FISH.—
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘wild fish’ 
means naturally born or hatchery-raised fish 
harvested in the wild and shellfish harvested in 
the wild. 
‘‘(B) INCLUSIONS.—The term ‘wild fish’ 
includes a fillet, steak, nugget, and any other 
flesh from wild fish or shellfish. 
‘‘(C) EXCLUSIONS.—The term ‘wild fish’ 
excludes netpen aquacultural or other farm-
raised fish. 
‘‘SEC. 282. NOTICE OF COUNTRY OF ORIGIN. 
‘‘(a) NOTICE OF COUNTRY OF ORIGIN REQUIRED.—
Except as provided in subsection (c), a retailer of a cov-
ered commodity shall inform consumers, at the final point 
of sale of the covered commodity to consumers, of the 
country of origin of the covered commodity. 
‘‘(b) UNITED STATES COUNTRY OF ORIGIN.—A re-
tailer of a covered commodity may designate the covered 
commodity as having a United States country of origin 
only if the covered commodity—