IMPROVED INVESTIGATIVE AND ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES UNDER THE PACKERS AND STOCKYARDS ACT, 1921.

SEC. 312. IMPROVED INVESTIGATIVE AND ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES UNDER THE PACKERS AND STOCKYARDS ACT, 1921. (a) Implementation of General Accounting Office Recommendations.—Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall implement the recommendations contained in the report issued by the General Accounting Office entitled “Packers and Stockyards Programs: 114 STAT. 2077Actions Needed to Improve Investigations of Competitive Practices”, GAO/RCED–00–242, dated September 21, 2000. (b) Consultation.—During the implementation period referred to in subsection (a), and for such an additional time period as needed to assure effective implementation of the recommendations contained in the report referred to in such subsection, the Secretary of Agriculture shall consult and work with the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission in order to— (1) implement the recommendations in the report regarding investigation management, operations, and case methods development processes; and (2) effectively identify and investigate complaints of unfair and anti-competitive practices in violation of the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921 (7 U.S.C. 181 et seq.), and enforce the Act. (c) Training.—Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall develop and implement a training program for staff of the Department of Agriculture engaged in the investigation of complaints of unfair and anti-competitive activity in violation of the Packers and Stock-yards Act, 1921. In developing the training program, the Secretary of Agriculture shall draw on existing training materials and programs available at the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission, to the extent practicable. (d) Implementation Report.—Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall submit to Congress a report describing the actions taken to comply with this section. (e) Annual Assessment of Cattle and Hog Industries.—Title IV of the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921, is amended— (1) by redesignating section 415 (7 U.S.C. 229) as section 416; and (2) by inserting after section 414 the following: “SEC. 415. ANNUAL ASSESSMENT OF CATTLE AND HOG INDUSTRIES. “Not later than March 1 of each year, the Secretary shall submit to Congress and make publicly available a report that— “(1) assesses the general economic state of the cattle and hog industries; “(2) describes changing business practices in those industries; and “(3) identifies market operations or activities in those industries that appear to raise concerns under this Act.”.