S. 2902: Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004

108th Congress · introduced 2004-10-06 · Agriculture and Food · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2004-10-06 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Craig, Larry E. [R-ID] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004

Plain summary

Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 - Defines "specialty crop" as each U.S. agricultural crop other than wheat, feed grains, oilseeds, cotton, rice, peanuts, sugar, and tobacco. Amends the Agricultural Adjustment Act to provide for marketing order specialty crop food safety programs. Amends the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to: (1) increase assistance for the tree assistance program; (2) provide for increased fruit, vegetable, and specialty crop purchases; and (3) increase and extend specialty crop technical assistance. Authorizes appropriations for maintenance of the Agricultural Marketing Service inspection training center in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Makes grants to enhance specialty crop competitiveness. Amends the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to obligate funds for specialty crop operating loans. Provides for: (1) the study of the extent to which U.S. specialty crops have or have not benefited from any reductions of foreign trade barriers; and (2) a foreign market access strategy plan based on such study. Establishes a division in the Department of Agriculture to process petitions for reducing sanitary and phytosanitary export barriers and an office to develop and protect intellectual property rights in plants and plant materials. Amends Federal patent law to define "essentially derived plant." Provides for specified additional research initiatives. Establishes a fund to support emergency eradication and research activities. Provides for independent scientific advice and peer review with regard to specialty crop import and export requests. Amends the Food Security Act of 1985 to remove the income limitation from the environmental quality incentives program. Addresses the development of voluntary sustainable practices guidelines for producers and processors of specialty crops.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

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A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Craig, Larry E. [R-ID] · 4 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Ron Wyden (D-OR)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (3)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Ballot initiative: A proposed law or constitutional amendment that citizens place on the ballot by gathering enough voter signatures, so voters decide it directly. About half the states allow some form of it.
Securities: Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-108s2902.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/108/s>

Record fed-us-cong108-s2902 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong108 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong108