Meat and Poultry Special Investigator Act

Bill: 119-hr-1380
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5]
Introduced: 2025-02-14
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Latest action: action_date: 2025-03-20
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry.

Summaries:
action_date: 2025-02-14
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>Meat and Poultry Special Investigator Act</strong></p><p>This bill establishes&nbsp;the Office of the Special Investigator for Competition Matters within the Agricultural Marketing Service's Packers and Stockyards Division. </p><p>Specifically, the office must use all available tools (e.g., subpoenas) to investigate and prosecute violations of the Packers and Stockyards Act of 1921 (P&amp;S Act). Further, the bill grants the office the authority to bring any civil or administrative action authorized by that act.</p><p>Additionally, the office must</p><ul><li>serve as a liaison to the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission with respect to competition and trade practices in the food and agricultural sector,</li><li>consult with the Department of Homeland Security on national security and critical infrastructure security in the food and agricultural sector, and</li><li>maintain a staff of attorneys and other professionals with appropriate expertise.</li></ul><p>As background,&nbsp;the purposes of the P&amp;S&nbsp;Act are to&nbsp;assure fair competition and trade practices, safeguard farmers and ranchers, protect consumers, and protect livestock, meat, and poultry industry members from unfair, deceptive, unjustly discriminatory, and monopolistic practices.&nbsp;Those engaged in the business of marketing livestock, meat, and poultry in commerce are subject to the P&amp;S&nbsp;Act.</p>

tv_txt: I 119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1380 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES February 14, 2025 Mr. Gottheimer introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture A BILL To amend the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921, to establish the Office of the Special Investigator for Competition Matters, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Meat and Poultry Special Investigator Act . 2. Office of the Special Investigator for Competition Matters The Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921, is amended by inserting after section 415 ( 7 U.S.C. 228d ) the following: 416. Office of the Special Investigator for Competition Matters (a) Establishment There is established within the Packers and Stockyards Division of the Department of Agriculture an office, to be known as the Office of the Special Investigator for Competition Matters (referred to in this section as the Office ). (b) Special investigator for competition matters The Office shall be headed by the Special Investigator for Competition Matters (referred to in this section as the Special Investigator ), who shall be appointed by the Secretary. (c) Duties The Special Investigator shall— (1) use all available tools, including subpoenas, to investigate and prosecute violations of this Act; (2) serve as a Department of Agriculture liaison to, and act in consultation with, the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission with respect to competition and trade practices in the food and agricultural sector; (3) act in consultation with the Department of Homeland Security with respect to national security and critical infrastructure security in the food and agricultural sector; and (4) maintain a staff of attorneys and other professionals with appropriate expertise. (d) Prosecutorial authority Notwithstanding title 28, United States Code, the Special Investigator shall have the authority to bring any civil or administrative action authorized under this Act. .