Bill Details
View committees (1)
View cosponsors (11)
- Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-New Jersey]
- Sen. Rounds, Mike [R-South Dakota]
- Sen. Heinrich, Martin [D-New Mexico]
- Sen. Lummis, Cynthia M. [R-Wyoming]
- Sen. Fetterman, John [D-Pennsylvania]
- Sen. Hoeven, John [R-North Dakota]
- Sen. Luján, Ben Ray [D-New Mexico]
- Sen. Lee, Mike [R-Utah]
- Sen. Hyde-Smith, Cindy [R-Mississippi]
- Sen. Ricketts, Pete [R-Nebraska]
- Sen. McCormick, David [R-Pennsylvania]
AI Summary This summary was generated by AI from the bill text. AI can get information wrong.
This bill would bring back mandatory country-of-origin labels for beef sold in the United States. That means shoppers would be told where the beef came from, including beef used for ground beef and veal. The bill also gives federal officials a deadline to figure out how to do this in a way that fits international trade rules, and then to put that system in place. In short, it is meant to make beef labeling clearer for consumers while trying to avoid trade conflicts.
- It changes federal labeling rules so “beef” is specifically covered, including veal and ground beef.
- It requires labels to show the country of origin for beef, similar to existing rules for some other meats.
- The U.S. Trade Representative, working with the Agriculture Secretary, must find a World Trade Organization-compliant way to restore these labels within 180 days.
- The plan must be put into action within 1 year after the bill becomes law, or sooner if the Agriculture Secretary confirms it has been implemented.
Official Summaries
American Beef Labeling Act of 2025
This bill reinstates mandatory country-of-origin labeling (COOL) requirements for beef. COOL is a labeling law that requires retailers, such as full-line grocery stores, supermarkets, and club warehouse stores, to provide information to customers regarding the source of certain foods.
Specifically, the bill requires the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), in consultation with the Department of Agriculture (USDA), to determine a means of reinstating mandatory COOL for beef that is compliant with World Trade Organization rules. The USTR and USDA must implement the means of reinstating mandatory COOL for beef within one year of the bill's enactment.
Current Full Text
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 421 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 421
To amend the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 to establish country of
origin labeling requirements for beef, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 5, 2025
Mr. Thune (for himself, Mr. Booker, Mr. Rounds, Mr. Heinrich, Ms.
Lummis, Mr. Fetterman, and Mr. Hoeven) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture,
Nutrition, and Forestry
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 to establish country of
origin labeling requirements for beef, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``American Beef Labeling Act of
2025''.
SEC. 2. COUNTRY OF ORIGIN LABELING FOR BEEF.
(a) Definitions.--Section 281 of the Agricultural Marketing Act of
1946 (7 U.S.C. 1638) is amended--
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (7) as
paragraphs (2) through (8), respectively;
(2) by inserting before paragraph (2) (as so redesignated)
the following:
``(1) Beef.--The term `beef' means meat produced from
cattle (including veal).''; and
(3) in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (2) (as so
redesignated)--
(A) in clause (i), by inserting ``, beef,'' after
``lamb''; and
(B) in clause (ii), by inserting ``, ground beef,''
after ``lamb''.
(b) Notice of Country of Origin.--Section 282(a)(2) of the
Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1638a(a)(2)) is amended--
(1) in the paragraph heading, by inserting ``beef,'' after
``for'';
(2) in each of subparagraphs (A) through (D), by inserting
``beef,'' before ``lamb'' each place it appears; and
(3) in subparagraph (E)--
(A) in the subparagraph heading, by inserting
``beef,'' after ``Ground''; and
(B) by inserting ``ground beef,'' before ``ground
lamb'' each place it appears.
(c) Means of Reinstating MCOOL for Beef.--
(1) Determination of means.--Not later than 180 days after
the date of enactment of this Act, the United States Trade
Representative, in consultation with the Secretary of
Agriculture, shall determine a means of reinstating mandatory
country of origin labeling for beef in accordance with the
amendments made by subsections (a) and (b) that is in
compliance with all applicable rules of the World Trade
Organization.
(2) Implementation of means.--Not later than 1 year after
the date of enactment of this Act, the United States Trade
Representative and the Secretary of Agriculture shall implement
the means determined under paragraph (1).
(d) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsections (a) and (b)
take effect on the earlier of--
(1) the date on which the Secretary of Agriculture
publishes a determination in the Federal Register that the
means determined under paragraph (1) of subsection (c) have
been implemented under paragraph (2) of that subsection; and
(2) the date that is 1 year after the date of enactment of
this Act.
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