text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
  
      (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Cattle Industry 
  Improvement Act of 1996''.
      (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents of this Act is as 
  follows:
  
  Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
  Sec. 2. Expedited implementation of Fund for Rural America.
  Sec. 3. Prohibition on noncompetitive practices.
  Sec. 4. Domestic market reporting.
  Sec. 5. Import and export reporting.
  Sec. 6. Protection of livestock producers against retaliation by 
                              packers.
  Sec. 7. Review of Federal agriculture credit policies.
  Sec. 8. Streamlining and consolidating the United States food 
                              inspection system.
  Sec. 9. Labeling system for meat and meat food products produced in the 
                              United States.
  Sec. 10. Spot transactions involving bulk cheese.
  
  SEC. 2. EXPEDITED IMPLEMENTATION OF FUND FOR RURAL AMERICA.
  
      Section 793(b)(1) of the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform 
  Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 2204f(b)(1)) is amended by striking ``January 1, 
  1997,'' and all that follows through ``October 1, 1999,'' and inserting 
  ``November 10, 1996, October 1, 1997, and October 1, 1998,''.
  
  SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON NONCOMPETITIVE PRACTICES.
  
      Section 202 of the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921 (7 U.S.C. 192), 
  is amended--
              (1) in subsection (g), by striking the period at the end 
          and inserting ``; or''; and
              (2) by adding at the end the following:
      ``(h) Engage in any practice or device that the Secretary by 
  regulation, after consultation with producers of cattle, lamb, and 
  hogs, and other persons in the cattle, lamb, and hog industries, 
  determines is a detrimental noncompetitive practice or device relating 
  to the price or a term of sale for the procurement of livestock or the 
  sale of meat or other byproduct of slaughter.''.
  
  SEC. 4. DOMESTIC MARKET REPORTING.
  
      (a) Persons in Slaughter Business.--Section 203(g) of the 
  Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1622(g)) is amended--
              (1) by inserting ``(1)'' before ``To collect''; and
              (2) by adding at the end the following:
      ``(2) Each person engaged in the business of slaughtering livestock 
  who carries out more than 5 percent of the national slaughter for a 
  given species shall report to the Secretary in such manner as the 
  Secretary shall require, as soon as practicable but not later than 24 
  hours after a transaction takes place, such information relating to 
  prices and the terms of sale for the procurement of livestock and the 
  sale of meat food products and livestock products as the Secretary 
  determines is necessary to carry out this subsection.
      ``(3) Whoever knowingly fails or refuses to provide to the 
  Secretary information required to be reported by paragraph (2) shall be 
  fined under title 18, United States Code, or imprisoned for not more 
  than 5 years, or both.
      ``(4) The Secretary shall encourage voluntary reporting by any 
  person engaged in the business of slaughtering livestock who carries 
  out 5 percent or less of the national slaughter for a given species.
      ``(5) The Secretary shall make information received under this 
  subsection available to the public only in the aggregate and shall 
  ensure the confidentiality of persons providing the information.''.
      (b) Elimination of Outmoded Reports.--The Secretary of Agriculture, 
  after consultation with producers and other affected parties, shall 
  periodically--
              (1) eliminate obsolete reports; and
              (2) streamline the collection and reporting of data related 
          to livestock and meat and livestock products, using modern data 
          communications technology, to provide information to the public 
          on as close to a real-time basis as practicable.
      (c) Definition of ``Captive Supply''.--For the purpose of 
  regulations issued by the Secretary of Agriculture relating to 
  reporting under the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1621 
  et seq.) and the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921 (7 U.S.C. 181 et 
  seq.), the term ``captive supply'' means livestock obligated to a 
  packer in any form of transaction in which more than 7 days elapses 
  from the date of obligation to the date of delivery of the livestock.
  
  SEC. 5. IMPORT AND EXPORT REPORTING.
  
      (a) Exports.--Section 602(a)(1) of the Agricultural Trade Act of 
  1978 (7 U.S.C. 5712(a)(1)) is amended by inserting after ``products 
  thereof,'' the following: ``and meat food products and livestock 
  products (as the terms are defined in section 2 of the Packers and 
  Stockyards Act, 1921 (7 U.S.C. 182)),''.
      (b) Imports.--
              (1) In general.--The Secretary of Agriculture and the 
          Secretary of Commerce shall, using modern data communications 
          technology to provide the information to the public on as close 
          to a real-time basis as practicable, jointly make available to 
          the public aggregate price and quantity information on imported 
          meat food products, livestock products, and livestock (as the 
          terms are defined in section 2 of the Packers and Stockyards 
          Act, 1921 (7 U.S.C. 182)).
              (2) First report.--The Secretaries shall release to the 
          public the first report under paragraph (1) not later than 60 
          days after the date of enactment of this Act.
  
  SEC. 6. PROTECTION OF LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS AGAINST RETALIATION BY 
                PACKERS.
  
      (a) Retaliation Prohibited.--Section 202(b) of the Packers and 
  Stockyards Act, 1921 (7 U.S.C. 192(b)), is amended--
              (1) by striking ``or subject'' and inserting ``subject''; 
          and
              (2) by inserting before the semicolon at the end the 
          following: ``, or retaliate against any livestock producer on 
          account of any statement made by the producer (whether made to 
          the Secretary or a law enforcement agency or in a public forum) 
          regarding an action of any packer''.
      (b) Special Requirements Regarding Allegations of Retaliation.--
  Section 203 of the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921 (7 U.S.C. 193), is 
  amended by adding at the end the following:
      ``(e) Special Procedures Regarding Allegations of Retaliation.--
              ``(1) Consideration by special panel.--The President shall 
          appoint a special panel consisting of 3 members to receive and 
          initially consider a complaint submitted by any person that 
          alleges prohibited packer retaliation under section 202(b) 
          directed against a livestock producer.
              ``(2) Complaint; hearing.--If the panel has reason to 
          believe from the complaint or resulting investigation that a 
          packer has violated or is violating the retaliation prohibition 
          under section 202(b), the panel shall notify the Secretary who 
          shall cause a complaint to be issued against the packer, and a 
          hearing conducted, under subsection (a).
              ``(3) Evidentiary standard.--In the case of a complaint 
          regarding retaliation prohibited under section 202(b), the 
          Secretary shall find that the packer involved has violated or 
          is violating section 202(b) if the finding is supported by a 
          preponderance of the evidence.''.
      (c) Damages for Producers Suffering Retaliation.--Section 203 of 
  the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921 (7 U.S.C. 193) (as amended by 
  subsection (b)), is amended by adding at the end the following:
      ``(f) Damages for Producers Suffering Retaliation.--
              ``(1) In general.--If a packer violates the retaliation 
          prohibition under section 202(b), the packer shall be liable to 
          the livestock producer injured by the retaliation for not more 
          than 3 times the amount of damages sustained as a result of the 
          violation.
              ``(2) Enforcement.--The liability may be enforced either by 
          complaint to the Secretary, as provided in subsection (e), or 
          by suit in any court of competent jurisdiction.
              ``(3) Other remedies.--This subsection shall not abridge or 
          alter a remedy existing at common law or by statute. The remedy 
          provided by this subsection shall be in addition to any other 
          remedy.''.
  
  SEC. 7. REVIEW OF FEDERAL AGRICULTURE CREDIT POLICIES.
  
      The Secretary of Agriculture, in consultation with the Secretary of 
  the Treasury, the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal 
  Reserve System, and the Chairman of the Board of the Farm Credit 
  Administration, shall establish an interagency working group to study--
              (1) the extent to which Federal lending practices and 
          policies have contributed, or are contributing, to market 
          concentration in the livestock and dairy sectors of the 
          national economy; and
              (2) whether Federal policies regarding the financial system 
          of the United States adequately take account of the weather and 
          price volatility risks inherent in livestock and dairy 
          enterprises.
  
  SEC. 8. STREAMLINING AND CONSOLIDATING THE UNITED STATES FOOD 
                INSPECTION SYSTEM.
  
      (a) Preparation.--In consultation with the Secretary of 
  Agriculture, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and all other 
  interested parties, the President shall prepare a plan to consolidate 
  the United States food inspection system that ensures the best use of 
  available resources to improve the consistency, coordination, and 
  effectiveness of the United States food inspection system, taking into 
  account food safety risks.
      (b) Submission.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
  of this Act, the President shall submit to Congress the plan prepared 
  under subsection (a).
  
  SEC. 9. LABELING SYSTEM FOR MEAT AND MEAT FOOD PRODUCTS PRODUCED IN THE 
                UNITED STATES.
  
      (a) Labeling.--Section 7 of the Federal Meat Inspection Act (21 
  U.S.C. 607) is amended by adding at the end the following:
      ``(g) Labeling of Meat of United States Origin.--
              ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall develop a system for 
          the labeling of carcasses, parts of carcasses, and meat 
          produced in the United States from livestock raised in the 
          United States, and meat food products produced in the United 
          States from the carcasses, parts of carcasses, and meat, to 
          indicate the United States origin of the carcasses, parts of 
          carcasses, meat, and meat food products.
              ``(2) Assistance.--The Secretary shall provide technical 
          and financial assistance to establishments subject to 
          inspection under this title to implement the labeling system.
              ``(3) Authorization of appropriations.--There are 
          authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary to 
          carry out this subsection.''.
  
  SEC. 10. SPOT TRANSACTIONS INVOLVING BULK CHEESE.
  
      (a) In General.--The Secretary of Agriculture shall collect and 
  publicize, on a weekly basis, statistically reliable information, 
  obtained from all cheese manufacturing areas in the United States, on 
  prices and terms of trade for spot transactions involving bulk cheese, 
  including information on the national average price, and regional 
  average prices, for bulk cheese sold through spot transactions.
      (b) Confidentiality.--All information provided to, or acquired by, 
  the Secretary under this section shall be kept confidential by each 
  officer and employee of the Department of Agriculture, except that 
  general weekly statements may be issued that are based on the reports 
  of a number of spot transactions and that do not identify the 
  information provided by any person.
      (c) Funding.--The Secretary may use funds that are available for 
  dairy market data collection to carry out this section.
target: Cattle Industry Improvement Act of 1996 - Amends the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 to advance the Fund for Rural America's initial funding date. 
  (Sec. 3) Amends the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921 to prohibit noncompetitive practices relating to the price or terms of sale of livestock or meat and meat by-products. 
  (Sec. 4) Amends the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 to set forth domestic market reporting requirements for certain persons in the slaughter business. 
  Defines "captive supply." 
  (Sec. 5) Amends the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 with regard to livestock and meat food products reporting requirements. 
  (Sec. 6) Amends the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921 to prohibit retaliation by packers against livestock producers.  Provides damages for producers suffering such retaliation. 
  (Sec. 7) Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to establish an interagency working group to review whether Federal lending practices are contributing to market concentration in the livestock and dairy sectors. 
  (Sec. 8) Directs the President to prepare a consolidation plan for the U.S. food inspection system. 
  (Sec. 9) Amends the Federal Meat Inspection Act to require a labeling system for U.S.-produced meat and meat food products. Authorizes appropriations. 
  (Sec. 10) Directs the Secretary to collect and publicize information on bulk cheese spot transactions.
feat_title: Cattle Industry Improvement Act of 1996