PRIOR NOTICE OF IMPORTED FOOD SHIPMENTS.

SEC. 307. PRIOR NOTICE OF IMPORTED FOOD SHIPMENTS. (a) In General.—Section 801 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, as amended by section 305(c) of this Act, is amended by adding at the end the following subsection: “(m) (1) In the case of an article of food that is being imported or offered for import into the United States, the Secretary, after consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury, shall by regulation require, for the purpose of enabling such article to be inspected at ports of entry into the United States, the submission to the Secretary of a notice providing the identity of each of the following: The article; the manufacturer and shipper of the article; if known within the specified period of time that notice is required to be 116 STAT. 671provided, the grower of the article; the country from which the article originates; the country from which the article is shipped; and the anticipated port of entry for the article. An article of food imported or offered for import without submission of such notice in accordance with the requirements under this paragraph shall be refused admission into the United States. Nothing in this section may be construed as a limitation on the port of entry for an article of food. “(2) (A) Regulations under paragraph (1) shall require that a notice under such paragraph be provided by a specified period of time in advance of the time of the importation of the article of food involved or the offering of the food for import, which period shall be no less than the minimum amount of time necessary for the Secretary to receive, review, and appropriately respond to such notification, but may not exceed five days. In determining the specified period of time required under this subparagraph, the Secretary may consider, but is not limited to consideration of, the effect on commerce of such period of time, the locations of the various ports of entry into the United States, the various modes of transportation, the types of food imported into the United States, and any other such consideration. Nothing in the preceding sentence may be construed as a limitation on the obligation of the Secretary to receive, review, and appropriately respond to any notice under paragraph (1). “(B) (i) If an article of food is being imported or offered for import into the United States and a notice under paragraph (1) is not provided in advance in accordance with the requirements under paragraph (1), such article shall be held at the port of entry for the article, and may not be delivered to the importer, owner, or consignee of the article, until such notice is submitted to the Secretary, and the Secretary examines the notice and determines that the notice is in accordance with the requirements under paragraph (1). Subsection (b) does not authorize the delivery of the article pursuant to the execution of a bond while the article is so held. The article shall be removed to a secure facility, as appropriate. During the period of time that such article is so held, the article shall not be transferred by any person from the port of entry into the United States for the article, or from the secure facility to which the article has been removed, as the case may be. “(ii) In carrying out clause (i) with respect to an article of food, the Secretary shall determine whether there is in the possession of the Secretary any credible evidence or information indicating that such article presents a threat of serious adverse health consequences or death to humans or animals. “(3) (A) This subsection may not be construed as limiting the authority of the Secretary to obtain information under any other provision of this Act. “(B) This subsection may not be construed as authorizing the Secretary to impose any requirements with respect to a food to the extent that it is within the exclusive jurisdiction of the Secretary of Agriculture pursuant to the Federal Meat Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 601 et seq.), the Poultry Products Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 451 et seq.), or the Egg Products Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 1031 et seq.).”. 116 STAT. 672 (b) Prohibited Act.—Section 301 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, as amended by section 305(b) of this Act, is amended by adding at the end the following: “(ee) The importing or offering for import into the United States of an article of food in violation of the requirements under section 801(m).”. (c) Rulemaking; Effective Date.— (1) In general.—Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall promulgate proposed and final regulations for the requirement of providing notice in accordance with section 801(m) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (as added by subsection (a) of this section). Such requirement of notification takes effect— (A) upon the effective date of such final regulations; or (B) upon the expiration of such 18-month period if the final regulations have not been made effective as of the expiration of such period, subject to compliance with the final regulations when the final regulations are made effective. (2) Default; minimum period of advance notice.—If under paragraph (1) the requirement for providing notice in accordance with section 801(m) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act takes effect without final regulations having been made effective, then for purposes of such requirement, the specified period of time that the notice is required to be made in advance of the time of the importation of the article of food involved or the offering of the food for import shall be not fewer than eight hours and not more than five days, which shall remain in effect until the final regulations are made effective.