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S 1759 110th Congress Senate Commerce Agribusiness Agriculture and Food Animals Antitrust law Competition Corporate mergers Department of Agriculture Evidence (Law) Executive reorganization Family farms Federal employees Government Operations and Politics Governmental investigations Housing and Community Development Law Livestock Meat packing industry Poultry

Agriculture Competition Enhancement Act of 2007

Introduced: July 10, 2007 Introduced by: Grassley, Chuck Republican · Iowa See on congress.gov
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 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
May 7, 2008
Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights. Hearings held.
Jul 10, 2007
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Jul 10, 2007
Introduced in Senate
 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Agriculture Competition Enhancement Act of 2007 - Establishes in the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice a Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Agricultural Antitrust Matters who shall: (1) be responsible for oversight and coordination of agriculture-related antitrust and related matters; and (2) work in coordination with the Task Force and the Department of Agriculture on all agricultural competition matters.

Establishes under the authority of the Attorney General the Agriculture Competition Task Force to examine problems in agricultural competition.

Amends the Clayton Act to revise the defendant's burden of proof in agribusiness mergers in which the plaintiff is: (1) the federal or state government; or (2) any other plaintiff.

Directs the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to: (1) draft agriculture specific guidelines to use when reviewing agriculture mergers; and (2) conduct post merger reviews of certain agribusiness mergers five years after approval.

Establishes within the Department of Agriculture the Office of Competition and Fair Practices to be headed by a Special Counsel for Competition Matters who shall: (1) analyze mergers within the food and agricultural sectors; and (2) investigate and prosecute violations of the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921.

Provides for agribusiness merger review and enforcement by the Department of Agriculture.

Authorizes appropriations for additional staff for the Grain Inspection, Packers, and Stockyards Administration to investigate the competitive implications of structural changes in the meat packing and poultry industries.

What's happening now May 7, 2008

Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights. Hearings held.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2
 Cosponsors 1
All 1 Republican 1