{"bills":[{"photos":{"featured":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hr2393-114/featured_country-of-origin-labeling-amendments-act-of-2015-1454550416.jpg","featured_large":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hr2393-114/featured_large_country-of-origin-labeling-amendments-act-of-2015-1454550416.jpg","shareable":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/hr2393-114.png"},"introduced_on":"2015-05-18","title_override":"Mystery Beef: Should Country of Origin Labels on Beef, Pork, and Chicken Products be Eliminated?","summary_override":"

This bill would end the requirement on country of origin labeling on beef, pork, and chicken products.

Country of origin labeling requirements are managed by the Department of Agriculture, and require retailers to let consumers know where in the world the product comes from. So if the cattle that made the ground beef you're buying in the store was born and raised in the U.S., Mexico, Canada, or any other country, there would have to be a label on the meat saying so.

This bill was passed by the House Agriculture Committee on a 38 to 6 vote shortly after the World Trade Organization ruled against portions of the law on the grounds that it put meat from Canada and Mexico at a competitive disadvantage.

If this bill passes, it would only apply to beef pork and chicken products — meaning that other commodities — like lamb, venison, goat, peanuts, fish, pecans, ginseng, and macadamia nuts — would still require country of origin labels.

","official_title":"To amend the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 to repeal country of origin labeling requirements with respect to beef, pork, and chicken, and for other purposes.","short_title":"Country of Origin Labeling Amendments Act of 2015","popular_title":null,"short_summary":"(This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the House on May 29. 2015. The summary of that version is repeated here.)\n\nCountry of Origin Labeling Amendments Act of 2015\n\n(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 to repeal country of origin labeling requirements for beef, pork, and chicken. Country of origin labeling requirements are administered by the Department of Agriculture and require a retailer to inform consumers of the country of origin of a covered commodity.","summarized":true,"cost":0,"cost_commentary":"The CBO estimates that enacting this bill would have an insignificant effect on spending subject to appropriation over the 2016-2020 period because the cost of enforcing existing labeling requirements would not change.","impact":"Consumers of beef, pork, and chicken; food production and packaging companies; food regulators — including the USDA.","argument_for":"Current labeling laws have to change to comply with a recent World Trade Organization ruling requiring the U.S. to repeal the regulations or face retaliatory tariffs that could make U.S. exports less competitive.","argument_against":"Consumers want to know, and have the right to know, where their food comes from. 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Mystery Beef: Should Country of Origin Labels on Beef, Pork, and Chicken Products be Eliminated?