Meat Business Innovation Act of 2024

Bill: 118-s-4941
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI]
Introduced: 2024-08-01
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Latest action: action_date: 2024-08-01
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

Summaries:

tv_txt: II 118th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 4941 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES August 1, 2024 Ms. Baldwin introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry A BILL To promote meat product innovation, including in specialty meats, and value-added meat product development for the economic benefit of United States farmers and their communities, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Meat Business Innovation Act of 2024 . 2. Meat product and business innovation initiatives (a) Definitions In this section: (1) Initiative The term initiative means a meat product and business innovation initiative established under subsection (b). (2) Meat business The term meat business means a business that develops, processes, produces, markets, or distributes meat products. (3) Meat product The term meat product means— (A) a meat food product (as defined in section 1 of the Federal Meat Inspection Act ( 21 U.S.C. 601 )); (B) a poultry product (as defined in section 4 of the Poultry Products Inspection Act ( 21 U.S.C. 453 )); (C) a food product from an exotic animal (as defined in section 352.1 of title 9, Code of Federal Regulations (or a successor regulation)); and (D) products derived from byproducts of meat processing for human food or biomedical applications. (4) Secretary The term Secretary means the Secretary of Agriculture. (b) Establishment The Secretary shall establish not fewer than 3 regionally located meat product and business innovation initiatives for the purposes of— (1) utilizing regional meat production; (2) creating higher-value uses for meat products and byproducts; (3) promoting business development that diversifies farmer income and small, regional economies through processing and marketing innovation; (4) diversifying meat product markets to reduce risk; (5) protecting the food supply through proven food safety innovations; and (6) enhancing consumer confidence by promoting practices that will improve animal welfare and ensure humane harvesting. (c) Selection of initiatives An initiative— (1) shall be located in a region with a history of livestock farming and meat processing, including fresh products and those requiring further processing, and a proven track record in food safety; (2) shall be positioned in proximity to existing meat industry resources, including research capacity, academic and industry expertise, a density of livestock farms or farmland suitable for livestock, ranching, and meat businesses of all sizes; (3) may serve— (A) a certain product niche, such as artisanal meat; or (B) meat businesses with meat products derived from a specific type of animal; and (4) shall serve meat businesses in other regions. (d) Entities eligible To host initiative (1) In general Any of the following entities may submit to the Secretary an application to host an initiative: (A) A State department of agriculture or other State entity. (B) A nonprofit entity with capacity to provide consultation, expertise, and grant distribution and tracking. (C) An institution of higher education. (D) A cooperative extension service with a history of supporting small- and medium-sized businesses. (2) Partners An entity described in paragraph (1) may establish partners prior to the submission of the application under that paragraph, or add partners on consultation with the Secretary, which may include— (A) a generic program to promote and provide research and information for meat and meat products; (B) a foundation; or (C) any other entity described in subparagraphs (A) through (D) of that paragraph. (3) Preference In considering applications from institutions of higher education, the Secretary shall give special consideration to an institution of higher education that has— (A) biomedical, veterinary, microbiology, and entrepreneurship expertise; and (B) expertise in meat science. (e) Activities of initiatives (1) Direct assistance to meat businesses An initiative shall provide assistance to meat businesses in accordance with the following: (A) Provision of direct assistance Assistance may be provided directly to meat businesses in a private consultation or through widely available distribution, and may be provided— (i) directly by the entity that hosts the initiative under subsection (d)(1); (ii) through contracting with industry experts; (iii) through the provision of technical assistance, such as informational websites, webinars, conferences, trainings, plant tours, and field days; or (iv) through research institutions, including cooperative extension services. (B) Types of assistance Eligible forms of assistance include— (i) business consulting, including business plan development for processed meat products; (ii) accounting and financial literacy training; (iii) market evaluation; (iv) strategic planning assistance; (v) training in animal handling, animal welfare, and humane harvesting practices; (vi) research on product innovation, including research relating to value-added products derived from meat byproducts; (vii) marketing and branding assistance, including market messaging, consumer assessments, and evaluation of regional, national, and international markets; (viii) innovation in emerging market opportunities, including agritourism, and marketing communication methods; (ix) packaging, distribution, and supply chain innovation; (x) food safety training and assistance with the development of effective food safety programs; (xi) meat product production training, including in new, rare, or innovative techniques; (xii) reduction of enteric methane emissions; (xiii) process and processing facility improvement, including planning for and implementing plant upgrades, food safety modernization, energy and water efficiency, byproduct reprocessing and use maximization, and waste treatment; and (xiv) training for Federal and State inspectors and other professionals who are critical for growth of the meat industry. (2) Competitive grants to meat businesses An initiative shall provide competitive grants for new and existing meat businesses for the purposes of— (A) modernization, specialization, and market diversification for livestock farms; (B) value chain and commodity innovation and facility and process updates for meat processors; (C) product development, packaging, and marketing of meat products; (D) innovation in biomanufacturing to address the need for— (i) byproduct reprocessing and use maximization; and (ii) improving sustainability; (E) providing food safety education and training to better meet shifting regulatory demands; (F) improving and modernizing food safety infrastructure, including technological adaptations, equipment, and food safety programs; and (G) improving and modernizing animal handling safety infrastructure, including technological adaptations, equipment, and animal welfare programs. (f) Distribution of funds (1) In general Of the funds made available to carry out this section, the Secretary shall provide not fewer than 3 awards to eligible entities described in subsection (d)(1) for the purposes of carrying out the activities under subsection (e). (2) Multiyear funding The Secretary is encouraged— (A) to award funds under paragraph (1) in multiyear funding allocations; and (B) to require frequent reporting, as appropriate. (3) Use of funds (A) In general The funds awarded to an eligible entity under paragraph (1) may be used— (i) for program administration of an initiative, including staff costs; (ii) for research activities that— (I) directly benefit meat businesses; (II) have been identified as priorities by meat businesses; and (III) require facilities, resources, research, education, and expertise provided by a funded entity that— (aa) are necessary for the identified research priorities; and (bb) would otherwise not be accessible to meat businesses; and (iii) for workshops or other informational sessions that— (I) directly benefit meat businesses, processors and entrepreneurs, and livestock farmers; or (II) enhance the capacity of providers of technical assistance to meat businesses and livestock producers. (B) Allocation Not less than 50 percent of the funds awarded to an eligible entity under paragraph (1) shall be allocated to directly benefit new meat businesses or meat businesses that wish to update their products or processes using a grant under subsection (e)(2). (4) Priority In providing direct assistance under subsection (e)(1) and grants under subsection (e)(2), an eligible entity shall give priority to— (A) small- and medium-sized livestock farms and meat businesses; (B) employee-owned meat businesses; (C) cooperatives; (D) meat businesses that establish contracting mechanisms that return profits to farmers who supply their meat; (E) meat businesses that, in addition to salary and wage compensation, return profits to employees; (F) meat businesses that seek to create meat products that add substantial value in processing or marketing, such as specialty meats; (G) meat businesses or allied startup companies that seek to address the increasing volume of otherwise discarded byproducts from animal production waste streams generated by the meat industry; and (H) meat businesses that seek to reduce water usage, carbon footprint, or improve overall sustainability efforts. (5) Requirement In the case of direct assistance under subsection (e)(1) or a grant under subsection (e)(2) that is provided to a specific meat business and does not benefit the general public, as determined by the Secretary, the assistance or grant shall exclusively be available to meat businesses owned in the United States. (6) Supplementation To the extent practicable, the Secretary shall ensure that funds provided to an initiative supplement, and do not duplicate or replace, existing meat product research, development, and promotion activities. (g) Matching funding (1) In general The Secretary shall encourage, but not require, an eligible entity described in subsection (d)(1) to provide matching funding to carry out this section. (2) Additional funding After an initial term of funding provided to an eligible entity described in subsection (d)(1), the Secretary is encouraged to work with the eligible entity to develop additional funding streams to supplement the Federal investment, including from funds of a generic program to promote and provide research and information for a specific agricultural commodity, if the provision of funds is approved by the members of the generic program. (h) Reporting (1) In general Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report describing the implementation of this section. (2) Innovation reports The Secretary, in coordination with the Chief Economist, shall publish an annual report on the status of— (A) innovation in meat products; (B) product development under the program under this section; (C) growth areas for meat product development; and (D) barriers inhibiting majority member-owned domestic meat firms from— (i) updating capacity; (ii) performing competitively in the marketplace; and (iii) returning gains to members or reinvesting the gains in ways that benefit the long-term financial stability of the majority member-owned domestic meat firm and the members of that firm. (i) Funding (1) Mandatory funding Of the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Secretary shall use to carry out this section $30,000,000, to remain available until expended. (2) Authorization of appropriations There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $30,000,000 for each fiscal year.