Us Congress 2025-2026 Regular Session

Us Congress Senate Bill SB1312 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	II
2	2	119THCONGRESS
3	3	1
4	4	STSESSION S. 1312
5	5	To establish the Office of the Special Investigator for Competition Matters
6	6	within the Department of Agriculture.
7	7	IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
8	8	APRIL7, 2025
9	9	Mr. W
10	10	YDEN(for himself, Mr. WELCH, Mr. GRASSLEY, Mr. ROUNDS, Mr.
11	11	S
12	12	CHIFF, Mrs. HYDE-SMITH, Mr. HEINRICH, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, and Mr.
13	13	H
14	14	OEVEN) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred
15	15	to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
16	16	A BILL
17	17	To establish the Office of the Special Investigator for
18	18	Competition Matters within the Department of Agriculture.
19	19	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-1
20	20	tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2
21	21	SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3
22	22	This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Meat and Poultry Spe-4
23	23	cial Investigator Act of 2025’’. 5
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26	26	•S 1312 IS
27	27	SEC. 2. OFFICE OF THE SPECIAL INVESTIGATOR FOR COM-1
28	28	PETITION MATTERS. 2
29	29	(a) I
30	30	NGENERAL.—The Department of Agriculture 3
31	31	Reorganization Act of 1994 is amended by inserting after 4
32	32	section 216 (7 U.S.C. 6916) the following: 5
33	33	‘‘SEC. 217. OFFICE OF THE SPECIAL INVESTIGATOR FOR 6
34	34	COMPETITION MATTERS. 7
35	35	‘‘(a) E
36	36	STABLISHMENT.—There is established in the 8
37	37	Department an office, to be known as the ‘Office of the 9
38	38	Special Investigator for Competition Matters’ (referred to 10
39	39	in this section as the ‘Office’). 11
40	40	‘‘(b) S
41	41	PECIALINVESTIGATOR FOR COMPETITION 12
42	42	M
43	43	ATTERS.—The Office shall be headed by the Special In-13
44	44	vestigator for Competition Matters (referred to in this sec-14
45	45	tion as the ‘Special Investigator’), who shall be a senior 15
46	46	career employee appointed by the Secretary. 16
47	47	‘‘(c) D
48	48	UTIES.—The Special Investigator shall— 17
49	49	‘‘(1) use all available tools, including subpoenas, 18
50	50	to investigate and prosecute violations of the Pack-19
51	51	ers and Stockyards Act, 1921 (7 U.S.C. 181 et 20
52	52	seq.), by packers and live poultry dealers with re-21
53	53	spect to competition and trade practices in the food 22
54	54	and agriculture sector; 23
55	55	‘‘(2) serve as a Department liaison to, and act 24
56	56	in consultation with, the Department of Justice and 25
57	57	the Federal Trade Commission with respect to com-26
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60	60	•S 1312 IS
61	61	petition and trade practices in the food and agricul-1
62	62	tural sector; 2
63	63	‘‘(3) act in consultation with the Department of 3
64	64	Homeland Security with respect to national security 4
65	65	and critical infrastructure security in the food and 5
66	66	agricultural sector; 6
67	67	‘‘(4) maintain a staff of attorneys and other 7
68	68	professionals with appropriate expertise; and 8
69	69	‘‘(5) in carrying out paragraphs (1) through 9
70	70	(4), coordinate with the Office of the General Coun-10
71	71	sel and the Packers and Stockyards Division of the 11
72	72	Agricultural Marketing Service. 12
73	73	‘‘(d) P
74	74	ROSECUTORIALAUTHORITY.— 13
75	75	‘‘(1) I
76	76	N GENERAL.—Notwithstanding title 28, 14
77	77	United States Code, the Special Investigator shall 15
78	78	have the authority to bring any civil or administra-16
79	79	tive action authorized under the Packers and Stock-17
80	80	yards Act, 1921 (7 U.S.C. 181 et seq.), against a 18
81	81	packer or a live poultry dealer. 19
82	82	‘‘(2) N
83	83	OTIFICATION.—With respect to any ac-20
84	84	tion brought under this section in Federal district 21
85	85	court, the Special Investigator shall notify the Attor-22
86	86	ney General. 23
87	87	‘‘(3) E
88	88	FFECT.—Nothing in this section alters 24
89	89	the authority of the Secretary to issue a subpoena 25
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92	92	•S 1312 IS
93	93	pursuant to the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921 1
94	94	(7 U.S.C. 181 et seq.). 2
95	95	‘‘(e) L
96	96	IMITATION ONSCOPE.—The Special Investi-3
97	97	gator may not bring an action under this section with re-4
98	98	spect to an entity that is not regulated under the Packers 5
99	99	and Stockyards Act, 1921 (7 U.S.C. 181 et seq.).’’. 6
100	100	(b) C
101	101	ONFORMINGAMENDMENT.—Section 296(b) of 7
102	102	the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 8
103	103	1994 (7 U.S.C. 7014(b)) is amended by adding at the end 9
104	104	the following: 10
105	105	‘‘(11) The authority of the Secretary to carry 11
106	106	out section 217.’’. 12
107	107	(c) T
108	108	ECHNICALAMENDMENT.—Subtitle A of the De-13
109	109	partment of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 is 14
110	110	amended by redesignating the first section 225 (relating 15
111	111	to Food Access Liaison) (7 U.S.C. 6925) as section 224A. 16
112	112	Æ
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