SUBCOMMITTEE ON RESEARCH AND EXTENSION THOMAS G. ABERNETHY, Mississippi, Chairman GEORGE A. GOODLING, Pennsylvania JOSEPH P. VIGORITO, Pennsylvania (II) THOMAS S. KLEPPE, North Dakota CONTENTS H.R. 15936, a bill to enable honey producers to finance a nationally co- ordinated research and promotion program to improve their competitive position and expand their markets for honey--- H.R. 16455, a bill to enable honey producers to finance a nationally co- ordinated research and promotion program to improve their competitive position and expand their markets for honey__ Aldworth, John, executive secretary, Honey Industry Council of Banker, Robert, director, Honey Industry Council of America, Hedlund, Floyd, Director, Fruit and Vegetable Division, Consumer and Marketing Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture-- Langen, Hon. Odin, a Representative in Congress from the State of Mathias, Hon. Robert B., a Representative in Congress from the Quie, Hon. Albert H., a Representative in Congress from the State of Rodenberg, Harry, director, Honey Industry Council of America, Willson, R. B., director and chairman of reserach committee Honey Brady, Arthur J., director, American Beekeepers Federation, Mait- Brown, Edward G., president, and Steele, Robert J., executive vice Eiden, George, secretary, Minnesota Beekeepers Association, Inc., Freeman, Hon. Orville L., Secretary of Agriculture, letter of: Hanson, Henry W., Dakota City, Iowa, telegram of June 17, 1968-- Hofmann, Chas. S., the Hofmann Apiaries, Janesville, Minn., letter McCoy Glen, chairman, Minnesota Honeywell Market Improvement Committee, Alexandria, Minn., telegram of June 17, 1968- Sundberg, Walter, Minnesota director and membership chairman of American Beekeeping Federation, Fergus Falls, Minn., letter of 44 HONEY RESEARCH AND PROMOTION PROGRAM TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 1968 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SUBCOMMITTEE ON RESEARCH AND EXTENSION OF THE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 10 a.m., in room 1301, Longworth House Office Building, Hon. Thomas G. Abernethy (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding. Present: Representatives Abernethy, Vigorito, Mayne, Goodling, and Kleppe. Also present: Martha Hannah, subcommittee clerk; Hyde H. Murray, assistant counsel; L. T. Easley, staff consultant; and Fowler West, assistant staff consultant. Mr. ABERNETHY. This subcommittee is convened this morning for the purpose of taking testimony on several bills, the numbers of which the clerk will supply and insert in the record at this point. (This hearing was held on the following bills: H.R. 15936, by Mr. Quie; H.R. 16455, by Mr. Teague of Texas; H.R. 16617, by Mr. Langen; and H.R. 16909, by Mr. Mathias of California. H.R. 15936 and H.R. 16617 are identical, and H.R. 16455 and H.R. 16909 are identical. The texts of these bills and the departmental reports thereon follow:) [H.R. 15936, 90th Cong., second sess.] A BILL To enable honey producers to finance a nationally coordinated research and promotion program to improve their competitive position and expand their markets for honey Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That this Act may be cited as the "Honey Promotion and Research Act of 1968." FINDINGS AND DECLARATION OF POLICY SEC. 2. Honey is produced by many individual producers (beekeepers) in every State in the United States. In 1967, four million eight hundred and thirtyseven thousand colonies of bees kept in the United States were devoted to honey production. Approximately two hundred and forty-five million pounds of honey have been produced during the past five years with an estimated farm value to the honey producers of $224,000,000. Honey and honey products move, in a large part, in the channels of interstate commerce, and honey which does not move in such channels directly burdens or affects interstate commerce on honey and honey products. All honey marketed in the United States is in the current of interstate commerce or directly burdens, obstructs, or affects interstate commerce in honey and honey products. The maintenance and expansion of existing honey markets and the development of new or improved markets are vital to the welfare of honey producers and those concerned with marketing, using, and processing honey as well as the general economic welfare of the Nation. Therefore, it is the declared policy of the Congress and the purpose of this Act that it is essential in the public interest, through the exercise of the powers provided herein, to authorize the establishment of an orderly procedure for the financing, through adequate assessments on honey marketed in the United States for commercial use, and the carrying out of an effective and continuous coordinated program of research and development or advertising and promotion designed to strengthen the competitive position of honey, to maintain and expand domestic markets for honey marketed in the United States. AUTHORITY TO ISSUE AND ORDER SEC. 3. To effectuate the declared policy of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture (hereinafter referred to as the "Secretary") shall, subject to the provisions of this Act, issue and from time to time amend, an order applicable to persons engaged in the handling of honey (hereinafter referred to as "handlers") and shall have authority to issue orders authorizing the collection of assessments on honey handled under the provisions of the Act, and to authorize the use of such funds to provide for research, development, advertising, and promotion of honey or honey products in a manner prescribed in this Act and any order issued pursuant to it. Such order shall be applicable to honey handled in the forty-eight contiguous States of the United States. NOTICE AND HEARING SEC. 4. When sufficient evidence is demonstrated by honey producers, or when ever the Secretary has reason to believe that an order will tend to effectuate the declared policy of this Act, he shall give due notice and opportunity for a hearing upon a proposed order. Such hearing may be requested when accompanied by a proposal for an order and submitted by honey producers or by any other interested person or persons, including the Secretary. FINDING AND ISSUANCE OF AN ORDER SEC. 5. After notice and opportunity for hearings, the Secretary shall issue an order if he finds, and sets forth in such order, upon the evidence introduced at such hearings, that the issuance of an order and all the terms and conditions thereof will tend to effectuate the declared policy of the Act. REGULATIONS SEC. 6. The Secretary is authorized to make such regulations with the force and effect of law, as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act and the powers vested in him by this Act. REQUIRED TERMS SEC. 7. An order issued pursuant to this Act shall contain the following terms and conditions: (a) Providing for the establishment by the Secretary of a "National Honey Promotion Board" (hereinafter referred to as the "Board"), and for defining its powers and duties, which shall include the power (1) to administer such order in accordance with its terms and provisions; (2) to make rules and regulations to effectuate the terms and provisions of such order, including the designation of the handler responsible for collecting the assessment; (3) to receive, investigate, and report to the Secretary complaints of violations of such order; and (4) to recommend to the Secretary amendments to such order. (b) Providing authority for producers and handlers to nominate and to submit to the Secretary the names of eligible producers and handlers, from which the Secretary may appoint the Board to administer the provisions of the order as hereinafter set forth: (1) The Board shall consist of eight members of whom five shall represent producers and three shall represent handlers. The producer representation shall be one each for each district in the marketing area. The handler representative shall be chosen at large from membership of the National Honey Packers and Dealers Association by such association. For each member there shall be an alternate member. (2) The marketing area shall be divided into the following five districts, for the purpose of selecting representatives for the Board, with the size of each such district determined by total 1966 honey production of each State included in such district so as to reach an equitable proportionment: |