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119-s-1028119th CongressWALLET

Honey Integrity Act

Sponsored By: Senator Tuberville, Tommy [R-AL]

Introduced

Summary

**This bill would create a federal standard for honey and a Honey Integrity Program to *detect and deter economically motivated adulteration of honey*.** It pairs a legal identity for honey with mandatory testing, reporting, and agency coordination.

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  • Qualifying commercial honey packers would have to test honey, certify compliance, report results to the Secretary, and pay a fee. Testing would begin 180 days after enactment and must use best available science such as nuclear and mitochondrial DNA tests, nuclear magnetic resonance, and high-resolution mass spectrometry.
  • Consumers and domestic producers would see stronger enforcement. The Secretary would investigate identification alerts, confirm results with federal labs, destroy adulterated honey, and share data with federal, state, and local enforcement and producer groups.
  • Federal agencies would coordinate on standards, sampling, and labs. The Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the FDA Commissioner, must set the standard within 1 year and report enforcement actions to Congress within 2 years, and may rely on U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Department of Agriculture for lab support if needed.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

4 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 2 costs, 1 mixed.

Mandatory testing for honey packers

If enacted, qualifying commercial honey packers would have to test honey they plan to sell in the United States. Testing must start 180 days after enactment and use the best available science, including DNA, NMR, and high-resolution mass spectrometry in combined protocols. Packers would have to certify compliance and report results as the Secretary requires. If they identify economically motivated adulteration, they would have to notify the Secretary and law enforcement within 24 hours and refuse that honey. A qualifying packer is one that pays the National Honey Board assessment, though the Secretary may exclude some packers.

Clear federal standard for honey

If enacted, the Secretary would have one year to set a federal standard of identity for honey. The rule must follow United States Pharmacopeia standards. This would define what may be labeled and sold as honey in interstate commerce and could require some producers or importers to relabel or reformulate products.

New federal honey integrity program

If enacted, the bill would create a Honey Integrity Program at HHS/FDA to detect and deter adulterated honey. The agency would work with Customs and Agriculture for testing and lab help. The Secretary would publish and update a list of qualifying packers. On alerts, FDA would investigate, confirm with federal labs, destroy adulterated honey, and share data with enforcement and stakeholders.

Fees on commercial honey packers

If enacted, each qualifying commercial honey packer would have to pay fees set by the Secretary. The Secretary would decide timing and amounts. Fee money could only be spent to the extent Congress appropriates it, and collected fees could remain available until expended. The bill also authorizes the funding needed to run the program.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Tuberville, Tommy [R-AL]

AL • R

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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