Senate Study Bill 3002

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  1  1              SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO.
  1  2             BY  (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE
  1  3               RESOLUTION BY CHAIRPERSON JOHNSON)
  1  4 A Concurrent Resolution to express support for the
  1  5    implementation of a system which identifies and
  1  6    traces livestock for purposes of controlling the
  1  7    outbreak of diseases in livestock populations, to
  1  8    ensure the wholesomeness of food products originating
  1  9    from livestock, and to maintain consumer confidence
  1 10    in the livestock industry.
  1 11    WHEREAS, the state of Iowa, one of the major agricultural
  1 12 states in the United States, is a leading producer of
  1 13 livestock and livestock products, which represents a
  1 14 multibillion dollar industry; and
  1 15    WHEREAS, the economic viability and welfare of this nation
  1 16 depend upon a reliable system for the production and marketing
  1 17 of abundant and wholesome food products, including meat, for
  1 18 consumers in this nation and foreign nations; and
  1 19    WHEREAS, the intentional or accidental introduction of
  1 20 diseases affecting livestock populations, including bovine
  1 21 spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) or a virus of the family
  1 22 picornaviridae, genus aphthovirus (foot and mouth disease), in
  1 23 this country would threaten the economic viability of
  1 24 livestock producers and the confidence of consumers in the
  1 25 wholesomeness of food products at home and abroad; and
  1 26    WHEREAS, livestock producers including Iowa producers are
  1 27 independently assuming leadership by actively investigating
  1 28 and implementing technologically advanced systems that
  1 29 electronically identify livestock and record the health status
  1 30 and location of livestock from premises of origin to
  1 31 slaughter; and
  1 32    WHEREAS, the United States Department of Agriculture is in
  1 33 the process of considering systems necessary to preserve the
  1 34 integrity of this nation's food supply, which may include
  1 35 implementation of a national system for identifying and
  2  1 tracing livestock; and
  2  2    WHEREAS, an available model for such a system is the
  2  3 National Farm Animal Identification and Records Program
  2  4 initiated and administered by the Holstein Association USA,
  2  5 Inc., which identifies livestock at birth with a unique
  2  6 identification number and premises of origin, and utilizes a
  2  7 database to track livestock from birth to slaughter, and which
  2  8 has been utilized in almost 1,400 farms to identify
  2  9 approximately 1 million cattle during the last five years; NOW
  2 10 THEREFORE,
  2 11    BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
  2 12 CONCURRING, That the United States Congress, in cooperation
  2 13 with the United States Department of Agriculture and in
  2 14 consultation with organizations representing livestock
  2 15 producers, is urged to consider strategies necessary to
  2 16 implement a system to ensure the security of this nation's
  2 17 livestock populations and to restore and maintain consumer
  2 18 confidence in the wholesomeness of the food supply; and
  2 19    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this strategy incorporate a
  2 20 system to identify livestock from a premises of origin and to
  2 21 trace the movement of livestock to any premises of destination
  2 22 and eventually to slaughter in order to ensure that any
  2 23 confirmed case of disease can be immediately tracked through
  2 24 its chain of movement and so that exposed animals may be
  2 25 quarantined and tested; and
  2 26    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution be
  2 27 sent by the Secretary of the Senate to the President of the
  2 28 United States; the United States Secretary of Agriculture; the
  2 29 President of the Senate of the United States; the Speaker of
  2 30 the House of Representatives of the United States; the
  2 31 Chairperson of the United States Senate Committee on
  2 32 Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry; the Chairperson of the
  2 33 United States House of Representatives Committee on
  2 34 Agriculture; and members of Iowa's congressional delegation.
  2 35 LSB 5493XC 80
  3  1 da/gg/14