# 119-hr-8596: FAIR Labels Act of 2026

119-hr-8596, FAIR Labels Act of 2026, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Alford, Mark [R-MO-4] (R-MO); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-09-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-8596
- As of: 2026-09-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-8596
- Congress: 119
- Title: FAIR Labels Act of 2026
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-04-30
- Sponsor: Rep. Alford, Mark [R-MO-4] (R-MO)
- Cosponsors: 20
- Policy area: Agriculture and Food
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-21

## Summary

**This bill would require transparent labeling for cell-cultivated and plant-based protein products and align USDA and HHS oversight to create common standards.** It sets new definitions, labeling rules, and an interagency framework aimed at making those products easier for consumers to identify and regulators to manage. - Consumers and families would get clearer packaging. Products labeled as cell-cultivated must display the words “cell-cultivated” next to the name and a statement that they are not derived from naturally produced meat or poultry, and plant-based items must be labeled “plant-based alternative protein product.” - Producers and manufacturers would face expanded rules and inspections. Cell-cultivated meat and poultry would be covered by the Federal Meat Inspection Act and parallel poultry rules and subject to misbranding penalties and premarket consultations. - Federal agencies would follow a tighter timeline and shared standards. USDA and HHS must revise their 2019 memorandum of understanding within 90 days and the Secretary of Agriculture, with HHS, must develop common standards of identity within 180 days.

## Cosponsors (20)

- Rep. Flood, Mike [R-NE-1] (R-NE), 2026-04-30T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Carter, Earl L. "Buddy" [R-GA-1] (R-GA), 2026-04-30T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Pfluger, August [R-TX-11] (R-TX), 2026-04-30T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Simpson, Michael K. [R-ID-2] (R-ID), 2026-04-30T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Smith, Jason [R-MO-8] (R-MO), 2026-04-30T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Jackson, Ronny [R-TX-13] (R-TX), 2026-04-30T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Wied, Tony [R-WI-8] (R-WI), 2026-04-30T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Bacon, Don [R-NE-2] (R-NE), 2026-05-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Mann, Tracey [R-KS-1] (R-KS), 2026-05-13T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. McGuire, John J. [R-VA-5] (R-VA), 2026-05-13T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Fulcher, Russ [R-ID-1] (R-ID), 2026-05-15T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Evans, Gabe [R-CO-8] (R-CO), 2026-05-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Boebert, Lauren [R-CO-4] (R-CO), 2026-06-02T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Gosar, Paul A. [R-AZ-9] (R-AZ), 2026-06-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Moore, Barry [R-AL-1] (R-AL), 2026-06-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Moolenaar, John R. [R-MI-2] (R-MI), 2026-06-18T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Soto, Darren [D-FL-9] (D-FL), 2026-06-23T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Van Duyne, Beth [R-TX-24] (R-TX), 2026-07-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Rouzer, David [R-NC-7] (R-NC), 2026-07-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Smith, Adrian [R-NE-3] (R-NE), 2026-09-01T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Agriculture and Health oversight roles: benefit, medium. This bill would require the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of Health and Human Services to jointly revise their 2019 Memorandum of Understanding within 90 days after enactment. The revised agreement would make USDA responsible for implementing the Act's statutory changes and assign HHS…
- Common product identity standards: benefit, medium. This bill would require the Secretary of Agriculture, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, to develop common standards of identity for cell-cultivated protein products and plant-based alternative protein products. If enacted, those standards would have to be finished not…
- Labeling rules for cell-cultivated meat: benefit, medium. This bill would add a legal definition for "cell-cultivated protein product" in the Federal Meat Inspection Act and the Poultry Products Inspection Act. If enacted, such products would have to show the words "cell-cultivated" prominently next to the product name, say they come from non-meat or non-…
- Labels for plant-based alternatives: benefit, medium. This bill would add a new FDCA definition for "plant-based alternative protein product" for foods made wholly or partly from plants and made to look like meat or poultry. If enacted, labels for those products would have to include the phrase "plant-based alternative protein product" adjacent to the…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-1301: Death Tax Repeal Act
- 119-hr-425: Repealing Big Brother Overreach Act
- 119-hres-719: Honoring the life and legacy of Charles Charlie James Kirk.
- 119-hr-38: Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2025
- 119-hr-1628: 761st Tank Battalion Congressional Gold Medal Act
- 119-hr-1502: North Platte Canteen Congressional Gold Medal Act

## Sources
- [119-hr-8596 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/8596)

## Related
- [119-hr-1301: Death Tax Repeal Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1301)
- [119-hr-425: Repealing Big Brother Overreach Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-425)
- [119-hres-719: Honoring the life and legacy of Charles Charlie James Kirk.](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hres-719)
- [119-hr-38: Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-38)
- [119-hr-1628: 761st Tank Battalion Congressional Gold Medal Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1628)
- [119-hr-1502: North Platte Canteen Congressional Gold Medal Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1502)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-8596 (as of 2026-09-21).