A Republican bill with no cosponsors
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Honey Integrity Act aims to protect the integrity of honey marketed within the United States. The bill requires the Secretary to establish a standard of identity for honey based on United States Pharmacopeia standards. It also mandates the creation of a Honey Integrity Program to detect economically motivated adulteration in honey entering interstate commerce. Under this program, qualifying commercial honey packers must conduct advanced scientific testing and certify their compliance. Additionally, the bill requires the Secretary to report on enforcement actions regarding adulterated or misbranded honey.
Yes· 3 of 5
- Scored +5
Does this make it easier to do business across state lines?
The bill regulates honey introduced into interstate commerce to ensure integrity.
- Scored +5
Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices?
The bill improves consumer protection by ensuring honey product integrity and preventing adulteration.
- Scored +3
Does this give the federal government more power?
The bill increases federal oversight through the Secretary and mandated testing/reporting requirements.
The opposite
- Scored -4
Would business owners be better off under this?
Business owners, specifically honey packers, face new fees and expensive scientific testing obligations.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Improved Product Integrity: The establishment of a standard of identity for honey ensures a consistent definition of what honey is (Section 2).
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Detection of Adulteration: The Honey Integrity Program is designed to detect economically motivated adulteration, which includes practices like substituting or adding substances to increase a food's value (Section 4(a), Section 4(f)(1)).
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Scientific Rigor in Testing: The bill requires the use of advanced scientific methods, such as nuclear DNA and mitochondrial DNA testing, to ensure the most valid outcomes for detecting adulteration (Section 4(b)(2)(A)).
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Increased Accountability: Packers who identify adulterated honey must report it to the Secretary and law enforcement within 24 hours and refuse receipt of that honey (Section 4(b)(3)(B)).
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Data Sharing for Protection: The Secretary is required to share data regarding identified adulteration with relevant enforcement agencies and stakeholders, such as national domestic producer associations (Section 4(b)(4)(B), Section 4(b)(4)(C)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Financial Burden on Packers: Each qualifying commercial honey packer is subject to a fee determined by the Secretary (Section 4(e)(1)).
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Mandatory Testing Obligations: Qualifying commercial honey packers are required to conduct specific, advanced scientific testing on honey they intend to market, including DNA and mass spectrometry methods (Section 4(b)(1)(A), Section 4(b)(2)(A)).
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Strict Reporting Requirements: Packers are obligated to certify compliance, report testing results, and report any identified adulteration to the Secretary and law enforcement within 24 hours (Section 4(b)(1)(B), Section 4(b)(3)(B)(i)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make it easier to do business across state lines? — The bill regulates honey introduced into interstate commerce to ensure integrity. Does this give the federal government more power? — The bill increases federal oversight through the Secretary and mandated testing/reporting requirements. Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill requires a public list of packers and reports to Congress on enforcement.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices? — The bill improves consumer protection by ensuring honey product integrity and preventing adulteration.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would farmers be better off under this? — The bill protects honey integrity, which can benefit domestic producers and agricultural stakeholders. Would business owners be better off under this? — Business owners, specifically honey packers, face new fees and expensive scientific testing obligations.
- 3/13/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.