Amendment to the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Bill
Passed on September 21, 2005

O:/WEI/WEI05765.xml

AMENDMENT NO.________________ CALENDAR NO._________

Purpose: To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to submit to Congress a report on whether to restore the National Organic Program.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES-109th Cong., 1st Sess.

H.R. 2744

Making appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2006, and for other purposes.

Referred to the Committee on ___________________ and ordered to be printed

Ordered to lie on the table and to be printed

AMENDMENT intended to be proposed by _____________

Viz:

On page 173, after line 24, insert the following: Sec. 7_______. The Secretary of Agriculture shall----- (1) as soon as practicable after the date of enactment of this Act, conduct an evaluation of any impacts of the court decision in Harvey v. Veneman, 396 F.3d 28 (1st Cir. Me. 2005; and (2) not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, Submit to Congress a report that -
a. Describes the results of the evaluation conducted under paragraph (1);
b. Includes a determination by the Secretary on whether restoring the National Organic Program, as in effect on the day before the date of the court decision described in paragraph (1), would adversely affect organic farmers, organic farmers, organic food processors, and consumers:
c. Analyzes issues regarding the use of synthetic ingredients in processing and handling;
d. Analyzes the utility of expedited petitions for commercially unavailable agricultural commodities and products; and
e. Considers the use of crops and forage from land included in the organic system plan of dairy farms that are in the third year of organic management.