PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Jul 31, 2008
Beef Checkoff Modernization Act of 2008 - Amends the Beef Research and Information Act to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to establish and maintain (as a subcommittee of the Cattlemen's Beef Promotion and Research Board) an importers qualified beef council to promote nondomestic beef or to pursue any other authorized purpose of a qualified beef council.
Replaces the definition of "qualified state beef council" with a definition of "qualified beef council" that includes an importers qualified beef council.
Requires a beef promotion and research order to provide that: (1) at least 30% of U.S. producer assessments be made available to promote and market products derived from cattle born and raised in the United States; and (2) the importers qualified beef council reserve a percentage of its funds to promote products derived from cattle not born and raised in the United States, or for any other purpose allowed under this Act for any other qualified beef council.
Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.
Requires the Secretary, beginning in 2010 and at least every seven years thereafter, upon receipt of a petition of a group comprising 10% or more of cattle producers, to conduct a referendum to: (1) determine whether cattle producers favor the termination or suspension of the order; and (2) vote on any other amendments to the order.
People & committees
Sen. Tester, Jon [D-MT] · D–MT
Legislative record
A procedural vote is different from passage. Passage in one chamber does not establish enactment. Explore the glossary.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
Introduced in Senate
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We currently store references to these documents.
No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Feb 10, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
AI Conversation Starters
Choose a perspective, copy a prompt, and paste it into your preferred AI. Each prompt includes the bill version and available official source links, and asks for counterarguments as well as supporting evidence.
Analyze S.3404 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.
Examine S.3404 through a progressive lens, focusing on fairness, access, economic inequality, and effects on vulnerable communities. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and distinguish stated goals from demonstrated outcomes.
Examine S.3404 through a conservative lens, focusing on fiscal responsibility, institutional stability, federalism, and the scope of government. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and any provisions that challenge this perspective.
Examine S.3404 through a civil-liberties and limited-government lens. Consider individual rights, privacy, voluntary choice, accountability, and government power. Explain tradeoffs, possible safeguards, and the strongest counterarguments without assuming the proposal is beneficial or harmful.