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S 364 111th Congress Senate Commerce Administrative law and regulatory procedures Agricultural prices, subsidies, credit Competition and antitrust Corporate finance and management Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation Department of Agriculture Department of Justice Evidence and witnesses Executive agency funding and structure Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Food industry and services Government studies and investigations Meat

Agriculture Competition Enhancement Act of 2009

Introduced: February 3, 2009 Introduced by: Grassley, Chuck Republican · Iowa See on congress.gov
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 Everywhere this bill has been 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Feb 3, 2009
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Feb 3, 2009
Introduced in Senate
 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Agriculture Competition Enhancement Act of 2009 - 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 February 3, 2009

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1