| 1 | 1 | | I |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | 119THCONGRESS |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | 1 |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | STSESSION H. R. 2162 |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | To provide for the protection of the integrity of honey marketed in the |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | United States, and for other purposes. |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | MARCH14, 2025 |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | Mr. S |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | TEUBE(for himself, Mr. PANETTA, and Mr. EZELL) introduced the |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | A BILL |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | To provide for the protection of the integrity of honey |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | marketed in the United States, and for other purposes. |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-1 |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Honey Integrity Act’’. 4 |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | SEC. 2. STANDARD OF IDENTITY FOR HONEY. 5 |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment 6 |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | of this Act, the Secretary shall establish a standard of 7 |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | identity for honey in accordance with applicable United 8 |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | States Pharmacopeia standards under section 401 of the 9 |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 341). 10 |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | VerDate Sep 11 2014 17:11 Mar 31, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2162.IH H2162 |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 2 |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | •HR 2162 IH |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | SEC. 3. REPORT TO CONGRESS ON ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS 1 |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | WITH RESPECT TO MISBRANDED HONEY. 2 |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | Not later than 2 years after the date of the enact-3 |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | ment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit a report to 4 |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | Congress on enforcement actions taken under the Federal 5 |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 301 et seq.) 6 |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | with respect to— 7 |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | (1) honey that is adulterated under section 402 8 |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | of such Act (21 U.S.C. 342); and 9 |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | (2) honey that is misbranded under section 403 10 |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | of such Act (21 U.S.C. 343). 11 |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | SEC. 4. HONEY INTEGRITY PROGRAM. 12 |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | (a) I |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | NGENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish a 13 |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | program for the purposes of detecting economically moti-14 |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | vated adulteration and improving honey integrity for 15 |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | honey introduced, or delivered for introduction, into inter-16 |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | state commerce. Such program shall be known as the 17 |
|---|
| 46 | 46 | | Honey Integrity Program. 18 |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | (b) T |
|---|
| 48 | 48 | | ESTINGREQUIRED.— 19 |
|---|
| 49 | 49 | | (1) I |
|---|
| 50 | 50 | | N GENERAL.—Pursuant to the Honey In-20 |
|---|
| 51 | 51 | | tegrity Program, beginning 180 days after the date 21 |
|---|
| 52 | 52 | | of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall re-22 |
|---|
| 53 | 53 | | quire that each qualifying commercial honey packer 23 |
|---|
| 54 | 54 | | in the United States— 24 |
|---|
| 55 | 55 | | VerDate Sep 11 2014 17:11 Mar 31, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2162.IH H2162 |
|---|
| 56 | 56 | | ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 3 |
|---|
| 57 | 57 | | •HR 2162 IH |
|---|
| 58 | 58 | | (A) conduct testing on honey the packer 1 |
|---|
| 59 | 59 | | intends to be marketed in the United States, as 2 |
|---|
| 60 | 60 | | described in paragraph (2); 3 |
|---|
| 61 | 61 | | (B) certify to the Secretary that the packer 4 |
|---|
| 62 | 62 | | has complied with the requirements of this sec-5 |
|---|
| 63 | 63 | | tion and that the packer has no reason to be-6 |
|---|
| 64 | 64 | | lieve that the packer has traded in honey that 7 |
|---|
| 65 | 65 | | has been the subject of economically motivated 8 |
|---|
| 66 | 66 | | adulteration; and 9 |
|---|
| 67 | 67 | | (C) report the results of such testing to 10 |
|---|
| 68 | 68 | | the Secretary at such time and in such manner 11 |
|---|
| 69 | 69 | | as the Secretary may specify. 12 |
|---|
| 70 | 70 | | (2) T |
|---|
| 71 | 71 | | ESTING REQUIREMENTS .—A qualifying 13 |
|---|
| 72 | 72 | | commercial honey packer shall ensure that testing 14 |
|---|
| 73 | 73 | | conducted pursuant to paragraph (1) shall— 15 |
|---|
| 74 | 74 | | (A) use all the best available science, in-16 |
|---|
| 75 | 75 | | cluding nuclear DNA testing, mitochondrial 17 |
|---|
| 76 | 76 | | DNA testing, and any other established forensic 18 |
|---|
| 77 | 77 | | DNA identity testing methods, nuclear mag-19 |
|---|
| 78 | 78 | | netic resonance, high-resolution mass spectrom-20 |
|---|
| 79 | 79 | | etry, and other tests in a combined protocol de-21 |
|---|
| 80 | 80 | | signed to produce the most scientifically valid 22 |
|---|
| 81 | 81 | | outcomes with respect to detecting economically 23 |
|---|
| 82 | 82 | | motivated adulteration; 24 |
|---|
| 83 | 83 | | VerDate Sep 11 2014 17:11 Mar 31, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2162.IH H2162 |
|---|
| 84 | 84 | | ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 4 |
|---|
| 85 | 85 | | •HR 2162 IH |
|---|
| 86 | 86 | | (B) ensure that a minimum volume of 1 |
|---|
| 87 | 87 | | honey is tested to be effective according to law 2 |
|---|
| 88 | 88 | | enforcement protocols to be developed by the 3 |
|---|
| 89 | 89 | | Secretary, in consultation with the Commis-4 |
|---|
| 90 | 90 | | sioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 5 |
|---|
| 91 | 91 | | and the heads of other Federal agencies, as the 6 |
|---|
| 92 | 92 | | Secretary determines appropriate; and 7 |
|---|
| 93 | 93 | | (C) be consistent with, or superior to, the 8 |
|---|
| 94 | 94 | | best practices of other countries with respect to 9 |
|---|
| 95 | 95 | | conducting testing of honey for economically 10 |
|---|
| 96 | 96 | | motivated adulteration (as defined by the Sec-11 |
|---|
| 97 | 97 | | retary). 12 |
|---|
| 98 | 98 | | (3) P |
|---|
| 99 | 99 | | ACKER OBLIGATIONS .—The Secretary 13 |
|---|
| 100 | 100 | | shall require each qualifying commercial honey pack-14 |
|---|
| 101 | 101 | | er to— 15 |
|---|
| 102 | 102 | | (A) report to the Secretary findings of 16 |
|---|
| 103 | 103 | | testing conducted under this section, at such 17 |
|---|
| 104 | 104 | | time and in such manner as the Secretary may 18 |
|---|
| 105 | 105 | | specify; and 19 |
|---|
| 106 | 106 | | (B) in the case of a packer identifying eco-20 |
|---|
| 107 | 107 | | nomically motivated adulteration (as defined by 21 |
|---|
| 108 | 108 | | the Secretary) in any honey the packer intends 22 |
|---|
| 109 | 109 | | to market in the United States— 23 |
|---|
| 110 | 110 | | (i) report such information to the Sec-24 |
|---|
| 111 | 111 | | retary and such law enforcement officials 25 |
|---|
| 112 | 112 | | VerDate Sep 11 2014 17:11 Mar 31, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2162.IH H2162 |
|---|
| 113 | 113 | | ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 5 |
|---|
| 114 | 114 | | •HR 2162 IH |
|---|
| 115 | 115 | | as the Secretary may require, not later 1 |
|---|
| 116 | 116 | | than 24 hours after that identification; and 2 |
|---|
| 117 | 117 | | (ii) refuse receipt of such honey. 3 |
|---|
| 118 | 118 | | (4) E |
|---|
| 119 | 119 | | FFECT OF EMA IDENTIFICATION .—Upon 4 |
|---|
| 120 | 120 | | receipt of an alert of the identification of economi-5 |
|---|
| 121 | 121 | | cally motivated adulteration (as defined by the Sec-6 |
|---|
| 122 | 122 | | retary), the Secretary shall— 7 |
|---|
| 123 | 123 | | (A) investigate, test, and destroy honey de-8 |
|---|
| 124 | 124 | | termined to be so adulterated after confirming 9 |
|---|
| 125 | 125 | | results through Federal laboratory findings; 10 |
|---|
| 126 | 126 | | (B) maintain and share data on such iden-11 |
|---|
| 127 | 127 | | tification with relevant enforcement agencies at 12 |
|---|
| 128 | 128 | | the Federal, State, and local level, including the 13 |
|---|
| 129 | 129 | | Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border 14 |
|---|
| 130 | 130 | | Protection and the Secretary of Agriculture; 15 |
|---|
| 131 | 131 | | and 16 |
|---|
| 132 | 132 | | (C) maintain and share data on such iden-17 |
|---|
| 133 | 133 | | tification with stakeholders, including national 18 |
|---|
| 134 | 134 | | domestic producer associations. 19 |
|---|
| 135 | 135 | | (c) L |
|---|
| 136 | 136 | | IST OFPACKERS.—The Secretary shall— 20 |
|---|
| 137 | 137 | | (1) publish, and update as necessary, a list of 21 |
|---|
| 138 | 138 | | each qualifying commercial honey packer in the 22 |
|---|
| 139 | 139 | | United States, including packers excluded by the 23 |
|---|
| 140 | 140 | | Secretary from being considered a qualifying com-24 |
|---|
| 141 | 141 | | mercial honey packer; and 25 |
|---|
| 142 | 142 | | VerDate Sep 11 2014 17:11 Mar 31, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2162.IH H2162 |
|---|
| 143 | 143 | | ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 6 |
|---|
| 144 | 144 | | •HR 2162 IH |
|---|
| 145 | 145 | | (2) distribute such list, upon initial publication, 1 |
|---|
| 146 | 146 | | and upon each update, to relevant stakeholders, as 2 |
|---|
| 147 | 147 | | determined by the Secretary. 3 |
|---|
| 148 | 148 | | (d) I |
|---|
| 149 | 149 | | NTERAGENCYCOOPERATION.— 4 |
|---|
| 150 | 150 | | (1) C |
|---|
| 151 | 151 | | ONSULTATION.—In developing the testing 5 |
|---|
| 152 | 152 | | requirements under subsection (b), the Secretary 6 |
|---|
| 153 | 153 | | shall consult with the Commissioner of U.S. Cus-7 |
|---|
| 154 | 154 | | toms and Border Protection, the Secretary of Agri-8 |
|---|
| 155 | 155 | | culture, and the head of any other Federal agency 9 |
|---|
| 156 | 156 | | the Secretary determines to be appropriate, and the 10 |
|---|
| 157 | 157 | | Secretary may consult with such Commissioner, such 11 |
|---|
| 158 | 158 | | Secretary, and the heads of such other Federal 12 |
|---|
| 159 | 159 | | agencies in otherwise carrying out this section. 13 |
|---|
| 160 | 160 | | (2) R |
|---|
| 161 | 161 | | ESOURCES.—In the case that the Food 14 |
|---|
| 162 | 162 | | and Drug Administration lacks the necessary re-15 |
|---|
| 163 | 163 | | sources and laboratories available to test honey, U.S. 16 |
|---|
| 164 | 164 | | Customs and Border Protection and the Department 17 |
|---|
| 165 | 165 | | of Agriculture shall make available to the Secretary 18 |
|---|
| 166 | 166 | | laboratory and other resources required by the Sec-19 |
|---|
| 167 | 167 | | retary for purposes of carrying out this section. 20 |
|---|
| 168 | 168 | | (e) F |
|---|
| 169 | 169 | | EES ANDFUNDING.— 21 |
|---|
| 170 | 170 | | (1) A |
|---|
| 171 | 171 | | SSESSMENT.—Each qualifying commercial 22 |
|---|
| 172 | 172 | | honey packer shall be subject to a fee due at such 23 |
|---|
| 173 | 173 | | time and in such amounts as the Secretary may 24 |
|---|
| 174 | 174 | | specify. 25 |
|---|
| 175 | 175 | | VerDate Sep 11 2014 17:11 Mar 31, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2162.IH H2162 |
|---|
| 176 | 176 | | ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 7 |
|---|
| 177 | 177 | | •HR 2162 IH |
|---|
| 178 | 178 | | (2) CREDITING AND AVAILABILITY OF FEES .— 1 |
|---|
| 179 | 179 | | Fees authorized under paragraph (1) shall be col-2 |
|---|
| 180 | 180 | | lected and available for obligation only to the extent 3 |
|---|
| 181 | 181 | | and in the amount provided in advance in appropria-4 |
|---|
| 182 | 182 | | tions Acts. Such fees are authorized to remain avail-5 |
|---|
| 183 | 183 | | able until expended. 6 |
|---|
| 184 | 184 | | (3) A |
|---|
| 185 | 185 | | UTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS .— 7 |
|---|
| 186 | 186 | | There is authorized to be appropriated for fees 8 |
|---|
| 187 | 187 | | under this section an amount equal to the amount 9 |
|---|
| 188 | 188 | | necessary to carry out this section. 10 |
|---|
| 189 | 189 | | (f) D |
|---|
| 190 | 190 | | EFINITIONS.—In this section: 11 |
|---|
| 191 | 191 | | (1) The term ‘‘economically motivated adultera-12 |
|---|
| 192 | 192 | | tion’’ means any practice, such as intentionally leav-13 |
|---|
| 193 | 193 | | ing out, taking out, substituting a valuable ingre-14 |
|---|
| 194 | 194 | | dient or part of a food, or adding a substance to a 15 |
|---|
| 195 | 195 | | food, that is intended to increase the value of a food 16 |
|---|
| 196 | 196 | | (as defined in section 201 of the Federal Food, 17 |
|---|
| 197 | 197 | | Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 321)) that 18 |
|---|
| 198 | 198 | | makes such food adulterated within the meaning of 19 |
|---|
| 199 | 199 | | section 402 of such Act (21 U.S.C. 342). 20 |
|---|
| 200 | 200 | | (2)(A) The term ‘‘qualifying commercial honey 21 |
|---|
| 201 | 201 | | packer’’ means any packer who is required to pay an 22 |
|---|
| 202 | 202 | | assessment to the National Honey Board established 23 |
|---|
| 203 | 203 | | pursuant to the Commodity Promotion, Research, 24 |
|---|
| 204 | 204 | | VerDate Sep 11 2014 17:11 Mar 31, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2162.IH H2162 |
|---|
| 205 | 205 | | ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 8 |
|---|
| 206 | 206 | | •HR 2162 IH |
|---|
| 207 | 207 | | and Information Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 7411 et 1 |
|---|
| 208 | 208 | | seq.). 2 |
|---|
| 209 | 209 | | (B) Such term excludes packers who meet such 3 |
|---|
| 210 | 210 | | criteria for exclusion as the Secretary may develop. 4 |
|---|
| 211 | 211 | | (3) The term ‘‘Secretary’’, except as otherwise 5 |
|---|
| 212 | 212 | | specified, means the Secretary of Health and 6 |
|---|
| 213 | 213 | | Human Services, acting through the Commissioner 7 |
|---|
| 214 | 214 | | of Food and Drugs. 8 |
|---|
| 215 | 215 | | Æ |
|---|
| 216 | 216 | | VerDate Sep 11 2014 17:11 Mar 31, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H2162.IH H2162 |
|---|
| 217 | 217 | | ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS |
|---|