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Grain Standards and Warehouse Improvement Act of 2000

Public Law 106-472 · H.R. 4788 · 106th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Bill Clinton (D) on Nov 9, 2000 · Agriculture and Food

Sponsor: Rep. Bill Barrett (R-NE-3)

Cosponsors (1): Rep. David Minge

Passage votes

  • HouseMethod not stated
  • SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Grain Standards and Warehouse Improvement Act of 2000 - Title I: Grain Standards - Amends the United States Grain Standards Act to eliminate the requirement that grain export inspection and weighing samples be taken from certain physical locations (spout or final carrier).

(Sec. 102) Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to allow inspection and weighing agencies to perform services in other than their designated geographic area under specified conditions.

(Sec. 103) Extends the Secretary's grain inspection and weighing fee authorities through September 30, 2005.

(Sec. 104) Eliminates the annual equipment testing requirement.

(Sec. 105) Extends administrative and supervisory cost limitations through FY 2005 at reduced (30 percent) rates.

(Sec. 106) Authorizes the Secretary to contract for inspection and weighing services.

(Sec. 107) Authorizes the Secretary to prohibit the use of grain additives to disguise grain quality.

(Sec. 108) Authorizes appropriations through FY 2005 for grain inspection activities.

(Sec. 109) Extends advisory committee authority through September 30, 2005.

Title II: Warehouses - Amends the United States Warehouse Act to revise the Secretary's authority respecting the storage of warehoused agricultural products.

Provides for the issuance of electronic warehouse receipts.

Title III: Miscellaneous - Amends the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 to authorize the Secretary to make grants and loans for energy generation, transmission, and distribution facilities in areas with specified high home energy costs. Authorizes appropriations.

(Sec. 302) Applies specified carry forward adjustment provisions of the Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000 beginning with undermarketings of the 2001 burley tobacco crop and marketings of the 2002 burley tobacco crop.

(Sec. 303) Amends the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 to authorize the Secretary to assess and collect mediation or arbitration fees and penalties for disputes involving agricultural products in foreign commerce.

(Sec. 304) Amends the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to authorize the Secretary to make grants for the Federal share of community facilities in rural communities with specified levels of high unemployment or population loss. Authorizes appropriations.

(Sec. 306) Amends the Agricultural Credit Act of 1987 to authorize appropriations through FY 2005 for State agricultural loan mediation programs.

(Sec. 307) Amends the Commodity Distribution Reform Act and WIC Amendments of 1987 to extend authority through October 1, 2003, for reimbursement of State and local costs associated with the removal of potentially hazardous commodities.

Amends the Child Nutrition Act of 1996 respecting the special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children (WIC) to: (1) authorize the exclusion of cost-of-living allowances for members of the uniformed services on duty outside the contiguous States (currently continental) of the United States; and (2) limit to 20 the number of demonstration projects relating to the use of the WIC program for identification and enrollment of children in certain health programs.

Amends the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to authorize, and set forth the conditions under which, a State agency may suspend without prior hearing a participating institution for false or fraudulent claims under the child and adult care food program.

(Sec. 308) Authorizes the Secretary to purchase certain land in South Carolina and transfer Department of Agriculture-owned land to the Florence Darlington Technical College, South Carolina, in exchange for College-owned land.

(Sec. 309) Extends the deadline for filing a complaint alleging the preparation of false agricultural inspection certificates at Hunts Point Terminal Market, Bronx, New York, to January 1, 2001.

(Sec. 310) Amends the Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act of 1954 to authorize grants for U.S. stockpiling and rapid transportation and distribution of shelf-stable prepackaged foods to needy individuals abroad. Authorizes FY 2001 and 2002 appropriations. Authorizes fund use for U.S. and (limited) overseas food prepositioning.

(Sec. 311) Amends the United States Cotton Futures Act to exempt a person complying with specified cotton futures information requests by the Secretary from any loss or damage arising from such compliance.

(Sec. 312) Directs the Secretary to implement: (1) certain General Accounting Office packers and stockyards enforcement recommendations; and (2) implement a training program for Department of Agriculture packers and stockyards enforcement personnel.

Amends the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921 to direct the Secretary to annually assess the cattle and hog industries.

(Sec. 313) Amends the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act to authorize: (1) cost sharing assistance to local organizations for rehabilitation of covered water resource projects (as defined by this Act); and (2) technical assistance for watershed project rehabilitation. Authorizes FY 2001 through 2005 appropriations.

(Sec. 314) Directs: (1) the Secretary to release U.S. reversionary interests to specified land in Sumter County, South Carolina, owned by the South Carolina State Commission of Forestry on behalf of South Carolina; and (2) the Secretary of the Interior to exchange mineral rights on specified land with South Carolina.

(Sec. 316) Directs the Secretary to use Commodity Credit Corporation funds for a specified pork checkoff referendum.

Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

  • Agriculture Committee · House · referred toSubcommittee: General Farm Commodities, Resource Conservation and Credit Subcommittee
Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 15 actions.

  1. Nov 9, 2000Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 106-472.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Nov 1, 2000PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Oct 24, 2000Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to House amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  5. Oct 17, 2000FloorFloor · House agreed to Senate amendment with an amendment pursuant to H. Res. 632.
  6. Oct 12, 2000FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  7. Oct 10, 2000FloorFloor · The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.
  8. FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  9. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
  10. FloorFloor · Mr. Barrett (NE) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
  11. Jul 25, 2000CommitteeCommittee · Reported by General Farm Commodities, Resource Conservation and Credit Subcommittee of the House Agriculture Committee
  12. CommitteeCommittee · Markup by General Farm Commodities, Resource Conservation and Credit Subcommittee of the House Agriculture Committee
  13. Jul 17, 2000CommitteeCommittee · Referred to General Farm Commodities, Resource Conservation and Credit Subcommittee of the House Agriculture Committee
  14. Jun 29, 2000CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Agriculture Committee
  15. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
Data notes

Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.

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Official record

The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.