Assured Food Safety Act of 2007

Bill: 110-hr-2997
Sponsor: Rep. Kaptur, Marcy [D-OH-9]
Introduced: 2007-07-11 in the House
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Agriculture in foreign trade
Civil actions and liability
Commerce
Crime and Law Enforcement
Department of Agriculture
Department of Health and Human Services
Economics and Public Finance
Fines (Penalties)
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Food safety
Foreign Trade and International Finance
Government Operations and Politics
Import restrictions
Labeling
Law
User charges

Summary:
action_date: 2007-07-11
text: 
Assured Food Safety Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture and the Commissioner of Food and Drugs to jointly establish a program to require all food items imported into the United States to bear a certificate of assured safety issued by the government of the country from which the item is imported.
 
Directs the Secretary and the Commissioner to: (1) establish certificate requirements; and (2) prohibit a food item that does not bear such certificate from being imported into the United States. Authorizes specified exemptions.
 
Directs the Secretary and the Commissioner, upon a food item's failure to provide the assured safety level, to prohibit the importation of any similar food item produced by the same person in the same country until the Secretary or the Commissioner inspects the production place and determines that sufficient corrective steps have been taken. 
 
Requires: (1) heightened inspections for three years following the removal of a food item's import prohibition; and (2) inspection-related user fees on foods imported into the United States. Authorizes fee waiver or reduction.
 
Provides: (1) a private right of action against an importer; and (2) criminal penalties against an importer who knowingly imports a non-complying food item.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-07-16
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Trade.
action_date: 2007-07-11
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2007-07-11
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2007-07-11
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2007-07-11
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2007-07-11
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2007-07-11
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H7636-7637)
action_date: 2007-07-11
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2007-07-11
text: Introduced in House