,, , ITTTI Legislation Food and Nutrition Legislation Mary Rivers and Lewrene Glaser (202) 786-1780

Numerous food and nutrition bills were H.R. 2896 - Rep. Thomas Daschle (SD) introduced in the first session of the 99th The Federal Meat Import Labeling Act Congress. Some of the proposed legislation of 1985 would amend the Federal Meat is described briefly below. Inspection Act to require that imported meat and meat foodproducts be exam­ Food Assistance ined and inspected at the port of entry, and labeled with the country of origin. H.R. 2782 - Rep. Benjamin Gilman (NY) The labeling requirement would also ap­ This bill would authorize assistance for ply to imported meat that was further cut famineprevention in Africa. It provides up or processed. Importers would be forbuilding up and sustaining the natural subject to assessments and feesto cover resources of those areas and countries in the cost of inspection, marking, and la­ Africa which suffer from exceptional food beling. The bill would also require the supply problems and where the natural Secretary of Agriculture to conduct a resource base has deteriorated due to de­ feasibility study to determine if eating forestation, desertification,and other establishments serving imported meat or problems. The bill focuses on small­ meat foodproducts should notify cus­ scale, self-help, cost-effective programs tomers of that fact. that will create sustainable growth on land currently turning into wasteland. H.R. 2924 - Rep. Henry Waxman (CA) This bill would amend the Federal H.R. 3001 - Rep. Dante Fascell (FL) Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require This bill, entitled the President's Food that pesticide residues on raw agricultural forProgress Act of 1985, would establish disrupt world prices or normal commer­ cial trade. Recipient countries would not products be safe for human consumption. a program to provide Commodity Credit The legislation would require the En­ Corporation (CCC) commodities to be allowed to resell or transship the com­ modities to other countries. vironmental Protection Agency (EPA) to developing countries which have made review all exemptions forpesticides commitments to agricultural policy Food Safety and Quallty within 180 days. (Under an exemption, changes. In entering into agreements there is no legal limit on the amount of with developing countries, the President H.R. 2857 and H.R. 3095 - Rep. pesticide residue that may remain on a must be satisfied that they are committed Edward Feighan (OH) commodity.) The bill also directs the to carrying out policies that promote S. 1512 - Sen. William Proxmire (WI) EPA to review all tolerances established economic freedom, private production of H.R. 2857 would terminate the provi­ forpesticides, gather adequate safety in­ foodfor domestic consumption, and the sional listing forthe fooddyes known as formation from pesticide manufacturers, creation and expansion of efficient FD&C Red No. 3, D&C Red No. 8, D&C and revoke any tolerance forwhich such domestic markets forthese commodities. Red No. 9, D&C Red No. 19, D&C Red information is not provided. (A tolerance Not more that 500,000 metric tons of sets a legal limit on the amount of a pesti­ CCC commodities could be used annually No. 37, and D&C Orange No. 17 under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic cide that may remain on a commodity.) in fiscal years 1986 though 1989. The The bill would also give the EPA ad­ President must take reasonable precau­ Act. The other two identical bills would completely eliminate the authority of the ministrator emergency powers to revoke tions to assure that commodities fur­ exemptions and tolerances of pesticides nished under this bill would not unduly Department of Health and Human Ser­ vices to give any color additives provi­ that present an imminent public health sional approval. All of the actions are hazard. Rivers Is an economist formerly with rhe Food and designed to require the Food and Drug Agricultural Policy Branch of rhe Narlonal Economics Administration to either certify the S. 1557 - Sen. Howard Metzenbaum Division. Glaser Is an agricultural economlsr wtrh rhe (OH) samt branch. additives as safe or ban them fromthe market. The Aspartame SafetyAct of 1985 would require independent tests to be conducted under the auspices of the Na-

28 Natlonal Food Review Legislation

tional Institute of Health. These tests if a State shows a good faitheffort or persons would be allowed to apply for would focuson the general effectsthat spends an equal amount of money to im­ food stamps as a separate household, re­ aspartame has on brain chemistry, as well plement its corrective action plan. gardless of the income of caretakers, as the specificbehavioral and neurologi­ when they have been certified as unable cal reactions experienced by individuals. H.R. 2714 - Rep. Sala Burton (CA) to purchase and prepare their own meals. Under this bill, there would be a morato­ H.R. 2745 - Rep. Bill Emerson (MO) The bill would allow elderly food stamp rium on new uses of aspartame in foods These similar bills would require States recipients to maintain a separate account and drugs pending the completion of the to establish an employment and training forburial costs up to $1,500. Supplemen­ tests or for1 year, whichever comes first. program forparticipants in the Food tal Security Income (SSI) and Medicaid The bill would also require labeling to in­ Stamp Program who are required to regis­ recipients can have such an account form consumers how much aspartame ter forwork. People between the ages of under current law. The Social Security they are ingesting and that it is not in­ 18 and 60, who are physically and men­ Administration would be required to as­ tended forinfants. In addition, the label­ tally fit,must register. Exemptions are sist all Social Security and SSI applicants ing would have to show the maximum al­ given to parents caring for children under with food stamp informationand applica­ lowable daily intake established by FDA. 6 years of age, incapacitated persons, stu­ tions. Under current law, such assistance dents, persons receiving unemployment is required for SSI recipients, but optional Food Stamp Program compensation, and persons working more forSocial Security recipients. The bill than 30 hours per week. Each State would also make recipients of Aid to H.R. 2621 - Rep. James Jeffords (VT) would be allowed to design its own train­ Families with Dependent Children This bill is designed to improve quality ing program. The purpose of these bills is (AFDC) and SSI automatically eligible control standards and procedures for the to help certain food stamp participants for foodstamps. Food Stamp Program. It would require move into regular employment by provid­ the appropriate State agencies to submit a ing training and experience and improv­ H.R. 3028 - Rep. Olympia Snowe (ME) sample of foodstamp cases to the Secre­ ing their employment chances. This bill would amend the Food Stamp tary of Agriculture. The Secretary would Act of I 977 and applies to households review the sample and notify the State H.R. 2778 - Rep. Edward Roybal (CA) with education loans that are considered agency of its error rate. An error is any This bill, entitled the Older American as income in determining eligibility for mistake in determining eligibility or bene­ Food Stamp ReformAct of I 985, is food stamps. Such households would be fitlevels made by a caseworker or appli­ designed to make the program more ac­ allowed to deduct 18 percent of those cant. As definedby the bill, the error cessible to low-income elderly and dis­ loans to compensate for transportation rate would be the ratio of erroneous pay­ abled persons. It would amend the Food and other costs incidental to attending an ments to total foodstamp payments per Stamp Act of 1977 to lower the threshold institution of higher learning or school fiscalyear. State agencies would be re­ for medical deductions fromthe current for the handicapped. quired to develop a corrective action plan $35 a month to the lesser of 5 percent of to eliminate or reduce errors. The bill gross income or $35 a month, permit ex­ Nutrition would set tolerance levels forerror rates cess costs directly associated with a at 5 percent per year adjusted by varia­ physician-prescribed special diet to be S. 1451 - Sen. John Chafee (RI) tions in State caseloads such as the per­ deducted as a medical expense, and raise This bill would allocate $30 million cent of households with earned income, the liquid asset limit from$] ,500 to from the 1986 budget of the Agency for population density, rate of increase in the $2,500 for nonelderly households and International Development to fund over­ caseload, and its size. If a State's error one elderly person households and from seas programs to reduce vitamin A defi­ rate exceeds its established tolerance $3,000 to $3,500 for elderly households ciency. The money, to be distributed level, the bill would require that the with two or more members. Elderly, frail over 3 years, would be directed toward Federal Government's share of adminis­ home gardening and nutrition education trative costs be reduced by the same per­ programs. □ centage. These sanctions may be waived

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