Personal Injury Law

United States Food Safety Legislation 2009 - Quite a lot to "chew" on!

By Bill Marler, Esq.

I think I have pulled together all of the pending (and one missing) pieces of legislation on food safety for your reading pleasure.  If between lawsuits, and I have time, I will give you my thoughts on the legislation.

H.R.759: To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to improve the safety of food, drugs, devices, and cosmetics in the global market, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Dingell, John D. [MI-15] (introduced 1/28/2009) Cosponsors (8)
Committees: House Energy and Commerce
Latest Major Action: 1/28/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. Summary – Bill

H.R.814: To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, the Federal Meat Inspection Act, the Poultry Products Inspection Act, and the Egg Products Inspection Act to improve the safety of food, meat, and poultry products through enhanced traceability, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep DeGette, Diana [CO-1] (introduced 2/3/2009) Cosponsors (5)
Committees: House Agriculture; House Energy and Commerce
Latest Major Action: 2/3/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. Summary – Bill

H.R.815: To amend the Federal Meat Inspection Act, the Poultry Products Inspection Act, and the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to provide for improved public health and food safety through enhanced enforcement, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep DeGette, Diana [CO-1] (introduced 2/3/2009) Cosponsors (11)
Committees: House Agriculture; House Energy and Commerce
Latest Major Action: 2/3/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. Bill

H.R.875: To establish the Food Safety Administration within the Department of Health and Human Services to protect the public health by preventing food-borne illness, ensuring the safety of food, improving research on contaminants leading to food-borne illness, and improving security of food from intentional contamination, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep DeLauro, Rosa L. [CT-3] (introduced 2/4/2009) Cosponsors (41)
Committees: House Energy and Commerce; House Agriculture
Latest Major Action: 2/4/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. Summary – Bill

H.R.999: To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to improve food safety.
Sponsor: Rep Roskam, Peter J. [IL-6] (introduced 2/11/2009) Cosponsors (1)
Committees: House Energy and Commerce
Latest Major Action: 2/11/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. Summary – Bill

H.R.1332: To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to the safety of the food supply.
Sponsor: Rep Costa, Jim [CA-20] (introduced 3/5/2009) Cosponsors (28)
Committees: House Energy and Commerce; House Agriculture
Latest Major Action: 3/5/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. Bill

S.92: A bill to ensure the safety of seafood and seafood products being imported into the United States.
Sponsor: Sen Vitter, David [LA] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Latest Major Action: 1/6/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Summary - Bill

S.425: A bill to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to provide for the establishment of a traceability system for food, to amend the Federal Meat Inspection Act, the Poultry Products Inspections Act, the Egg Products Inspection Act, and the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to provide for improved public health and food safety through enhanced enforcement, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Brown, Sherrod [OH] (introduced 2/12/2009) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
Latest Major Action: 2/12/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Bill

S.429: A bill to ensure the safety of imported food products for the citizens of the United States, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Casey, Robert P., Jr. [PA] (introduced 2/12/2009) Cosponsors (1)
Committees: Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
Latest Major Action: 2/12/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Summary – Bill

S.510: A bill to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to the safety of the food supply.
Sponsor: Sen Durbin, Richard [IL] (introduced 3/3/2009) Cosponsors (8)
Committees: Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Latest Major Action: 3/3/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Bill

Then there was S.3358: A bill to provide for enhanced food-borne illness surveillance and food safety capacity that was introduced by then Senator Obama. Bill

Did I miss any?

Full post as published by Marler Blog on March 23, 2009 (boomark / email).