Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 90 Part 1.djvu/579

 PUBLIC LAW 94-294—MAY 28, 1976

Public Law 94-294 94th Congress

90 STAT. 529

^&.

An Act To enable cattle producers to establish, finance, and carry out a coordinated program of research, producer and consumer information, and promotion to improve, maintain, and develop markets for cattle, beef, and beef products.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That this Act shall be known as the "Beef Research and Information Act". LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND DECLARATION OF POLICY

SEC. 2. Beef constitutes one of the basic, natural foods in the diet. It is produced by many individual cattle producers throughout the United States. Cattle, beef, and beef products move in interstate and foreign commerce and those which do not move in such channels of commerce directly burden or affect interstate commerce of cattle, beef, and beef products. The maintenance and expansion of existing markets and the development of new or improved markets and uses are vital to the welfare of cattle producers and those concerned with marketing, using, and processing beef as well as the general economy of the Nation. The production and marketing of cattle, beef, and beef products by numerous individual persons in the cattle and beef industry have prevented the development and carrying out of adequate and coordinated programs of research, information, and promotion necessary for the maintenance of markets and the development of new products of, and markets for cattle, beef, or beef products. Without an effective and coordinated method for assuring cooperative and collective action in providing for and financing such programs, individual cattle producers are unable to provide, obtain, or carry out the research, consumer and producer information, and promotion necessary to maintain and improve markets for cattle, beef, and beef products. It has long been recognized that it is in the public interest to provide an adequate, steady supply of high quality beef and beef products readily available to the consumers of the Nation. Maintenance of markets and the development of new markets, both domestic and foreign, are essential to the cattle industry if the consumers of beef and beef products are to be assured of an adequate, steady supply of such products at reasonable prices. I t is therefore declared to be the policy of the Congress and the purpose of this Act that it is essential and in the public interest, through the exercise of the powers provided herein, to authorize and enable the establishment of an orderly procedure for the development and the financing through an adequate assessment of an effective and continuous coordinated program of research, consumer information, producer information, and promotion designed to strengthen the cattle and beef industry's position in the marketplace, and maintain and expand domestic and foreign markets and uses for United States beef. Nothing in this Act shall be construed to mean, or provide for, control of production or otherwise limit the right of individual cattle producers to produce cattle or beef.

May 28, 1976 [H.R. 7656]

Beef Research and Information Act. 7 USC 2901 note. 7 USC 2901.

�