Title: Voluntary Checkoff Program Participation Act
Policy area: Agriculture and Food

Summary:
Voluntary Checkoff Program Participation Act
This bill prohibits mandatory or compulsory checkoff programs and requires producer participation in the programs to be voluntary at the point of sale. (A checkoff program is a program to promote and provide research and information for a particular agricultural commodity without reference to specific producers or brands. The Department of Agriculture oversees the programs, which are requested and funded by industry.)

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 740 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 740

         To prohibit mandatory or compulsory checkoff programs.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 28, 2017

    Mr. Lee introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
   referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
         To prohibit mandatory or compulsory checkoff programs.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Voluntary Checkoff Program 
Participation Act''.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON MANDATORY OR COMPULSORY CHECKOFF PROGRAMS.

    (a) Definition of Checkoff Program.--The term ``checkoff program'' 
means a program to promote and provide research and information for a 
particular agricultural commodity without reference to specific 
producers or brands, including a program carried out under any of the 
following:
            (1) The Cotton Research and Promotion Act (7 U.S.C. 2101 et 
        seq.).
            (2) The Potato Research and Promotion Act (7 U.S.C. 2611 et 
        seq.).
            (3) The Egg Research and Consumer Information Act (7 U.S.C. 
        2701 et seq.).
            (4) The Beef Research and Information Act (7 U.S.C. 2901 et 
        seq.).
            (5) The Wheat and Wheat Foods Research and Nutrition 
        Education Act (7 U.S.C. 3401 et seq.).
            (6) The Floral Research and Consumer Information Act (7 
        U.S.C. 4301 et seq.).
            (7) Subtitle B of the Dairy Production Stabilization Act of 
        1983 (7 U.S.C. 4501 et seq.).
            (8) The Honey Research, Promotion, and Consumer Information 
        Act (7 U.S.C. 4601 et seq.).
            (9) The Pork Promotion, Research, and Consumer Information 
        Act of 1985 (7 U.S.C. 4801 et seq.).
            (10) The Watermelon Research and Promotion Act (7 U.S.C. 
        4901 et seq.).
            (11) The Pecan Promotion and Research Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 
        6001 et seq.).
            (12) The Mushroom Promotion, Research, and Consumer 
        Information Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 6101 et seq.).
            (13) The Lime Research, Promotion, and Consumer Information 
        Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 6201 et seq.).
            (14) The Soybean Promotion, Research, and Consumer 
        Information Act (7 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.).
            (15) The Fluid Milk Promotion Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 6401 et 
        seq.).
            (16) The Fresh Cut Flowers and Fresh Cut Greens Promotion 
        and Information Act of 1993 (7 U.S.C. 6801 et seq.).
            (17) The Sheep Promotion, Research, and Information Act of 
        1994 (7 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.).
            (18) Section 501 of the Federal Agriculture Improvement and 
        Reform Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 7401).
            (19) The Commodity Promotion, Research, and Information Act 
        of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 7411 et seq.).
            (20) The Canola and Rapeseed Research, Promotion, and 
        Consumer Information Act (7 U.S.C. 7441 et seq.).
            (21) The National Kiwifruit Research, Promotion, and 
        Consumer Information Act (7 U.S.C. 7461 et seq.).
            (22) The Popcorn Promotion, Research, and Consumer 
        Information Act (7 U.S.C. 7481 et seq.).
            (23) The Hass Avocado Promotion, Research, and Information 
        Act of 2000 (7 U.S.C. 7801 et seq.).
    (b) Prohibition.--No checkoff program shall be mandatory or 
compulsory.
    (c) Voluntary Participation.--Producer participation in a checkoff 
program shall be voluntary at the point of sale.
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