§ 3421. Agricultural standards

(a) to (f) Omitted

(g) Peanut butter and peanut paste

(1) In general

Except as provided in paragraph (2), all peanut butter and peanut paste in the United States domestic market shall be processed from peanuts that meet the quality standards established for peanuts under Marketing Agreement No. 146.

(2) Imports

Peanut butter and peanut paste imported into the United States shall comply with paragraph (1) or with sanitary measures that achieve at least the same level of sanitary protection.

(h) Animal health biocontainment facility

(1) Grant for construction

The Secretary of Agriculture shall make a grant to a land grant college or university described in paragraph (2) for the construction of a facility at the college or university for the conduct of research in animal health, disease-transmitting insects, and toxic chemicals that requires the use of biocontainment facilities and equipment. The facility to be constructed with the grant shall be known as the “Southwest Regional Animal Health Biocontainment Facility”.

(2) Grant recipient described

To be eligible for the grant under paragraph (1), a land grant college or university must be—

(A) located in a State adjacent to the international border with Mexico; and

(B) determined by the Secretary of Agriculture to have an established program in animal health research and education and to have a collaborative relationship with one or more colleges of veterinary medicine or universities located in Mexico.

(3) Activities of the facility

The facility constructed using the grant made under paragraph (1) shall be used for conducting the following activities:

(A) The biocontainment facility shall offer the ability to organize multidisciplinary international teams working on basic and applied research on diagnostic method development and disease control strategies, including development of vaccines.

(B) The biocontainment facility shall support research that will improve the scientific basis for regulatory activities, decreasing the need for new regulatory programs and enhancing international trade.

(C) The biocontainment facility shall allow academic institutions, governmental agencies, and the private sector to conduct research in basic and applied research biology, epidemiology, pathogenesis, host response, and diagnostic methods, on disease agents that threaten the livestock industries of the United States and Mexico.

(D) The biocontainment facility may be used to support research involving food safety, toxicology, environmental pollutants, radioisotopes, recombinant microorganisms, and selected naturally resistant or transgenic animals.

(4) Authorization of appropriations

There are authorized to be appropriated for each fiscal year such sums as are necessary to carry out this subsection.

(i) Reports on inspection of imported meat, poultry, other foods, animals, and plants

(1) Definitions

As used in this subsection:

(A) Imports

The term “imports” means any meat, poultry, other food, animal, or plant that is imported into the United States in commercially significant quantities.

(B) Secretary

The term “Secretary” means the Secretary of Agriculture.

(2) In general

In consultation with representatives of other appropriate agencies, the Secretary shall prepare an annual report on the impact of the Agreement on the inspection of imports.

(3) Contents of reports

The report required under this subsection shall, to the maximum extent practicable, include a description of—

(A) the quantity or, with respect to the Customs Service, the number of shipments, of imports from a NAFTA country that are inspected at the borders of the United States with Canada and Mexico during the prior year;

(B) any change in the level or types of inspections of imports in each NAFTA country during the prior year;

(C) in any case in which the Secretary has determined that the inspection system of another NAFTA country is equivalent to the inspection system of the United States, the reasons supporting the determination of the Secretary;

(D) the incidence of violations of inspection requirements by imports from NAFTA countries during the prior year—

(i) at the borders of the United States with Mexico or Canada; or

(ii) at the last point of inspection in a NAFTA country prior to shipment to the United States if the agency accepts inspection in that country;

(E) the incidence of violations of inspection requirements of imports to the United States from Mexico or Canada prior to the implementation of the Agreement;

(F) any additional cost associated with maintaining an adequate inspection system of imports as a result of the implementation of the Agreement;

(G) any incidence of transshipment of imports—

(i) that originate in a country other than a NAFTA country;

(ii) that are shipped to the United States through a NAFTA country during the prior year; and

(iii) that are incorrectly represented by the importer to qualify for preferential treatment under the Agreement;

(H) the quantity and results of any monitoring by the United States of equivalent inspection systems of imports in other NAFTA countries during the prior year;

(I) the use by other NAFTA countries of sanitary and phytosanitary measures (as defined in the Agreement) to limit exports of United States meat, poultry, other foods, animals, and plants to the countries during the prior year; and

(J) any other information the Secretary determines to be appropriate.

(4) Frequency of reports

The Secretary shall submit—

(A) the initial report required under this subsection not later than January 31, 1995; and

(B) an annual report required under this subsection not later than 1 year after the date of the submission of the initial report and the end of each 1-year period thereafter through calendar year 2004.

(5) Report to Congress

The Secretary shall prepare and submit the report required under this subsection to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate.

U.S. Code

§ 3421. Agricultural standards