Keeping America's Food Safe Act of 2009
Latest action · Feb 12, 2009 Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedFeb 11, 2009
- Passed HouseNot reached
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Keeping America's Food Safe Act of 2009 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require: (1) certification of any food safety laboratory or a sampling service that is analyzing, testing, or collecting samples of imported food; and (2) such laboratories or services to submit to the Secretary of Health and Human Services the results of all tests conducted on behalf of an importer.
Sets forth civil penalties for: (1) an importer that knowingly engages in the falsification of test results submitted to the Secretary; and (2) a laboratory or service that knowingly submits false test results to the Secretary.
Requires the Secretary to establish a certification program to ensure that imported food meets the food safety standards applied to food produced in the United States.
Prohibits food from being permitted entry into the United States from a foreign facility in a foreign country unless there are certifications from the facility and country, except if the certification is not needed for the Secretary's evaluation of whether the facility's or country's standards are at least equivalent to standards applicable to food produced in the United States.
Sets forth certification requirements for foreign countries.
Requires the Secretary to develop and maintain websites on: (1) food safety issues; and (2) the development of school curricula regarding food safety issues.
Establishes whistle-blower's protections.
Revises the definition of "responsible party" to include an establishment that analyzes or tests samples of food for consumption in the United to States to ensure its safety. Requires a responsible party to notify the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) within 24 hours about test results that suggest that an article of food is reportable food, irrespective of whether the party subsequently determines that such article isn't reportable food.
Authorizes the Secretary to request and, in the absence of voluntary compliance, to order an establishment to recall food that has been distributed and that presents a risk of illness, injury, or gross consumer deception when necessary to protect the public health.
Cosponsors 1
Members who signed on, in the order they did. All signed on Feb 11, 2009.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-IL | Mark Kirk | Original | Feb 11, 2009 |
Actions 3
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Feb 12, 2009Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
- Feb 11, 2009Introduced in House
- Feb 11, 2009Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Agriculture and Food.
- Agricultural trade
- Agriculture and Food
- Elementary and secondary education
- Employment discrimination and employee rights
- Evidence and witnesses
- Food industry and services
- Food supply, safety, and labeling
- Fraud offenses and financial crimes
- Government information and archives
- Licensing and registrations
- Teaching, teachers, curricula
- Trade agreements and negotiations
- Trade restrictions
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Feb 11, 2009Introduced in House
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov.