Family Farm Antitrust Act of 1980
Latest action. Referred to House Committee on the Judiciary.
Family Farm Antitrust Act of 1980 - Finds that vertical integration of the agricultural industry by corporations engaged in the processing, distributing and retail industries, and other conglomerate corporations, tends to create monopolies in the agricultural industry and produce unfair competition for family farms, contributing to the decline of rural populations and the consequent crowding of metropolitan centers. Declares it to be the national policy to restore competition to the agricultural industry and to provide for the continuance of the family farm. Provides that no person who is engaged in commerce in a business other than farming and whose nonfarming business assets exceed $5,000,000 shall engage in farming or the production of agricultural products or participate in farming by any means of acquisition or control of another person who is engaged in farming. Specifies exceptions including charitable, educational, or nonprofit institutions, and farmer-owned and controlled cooperatives. Permits the continuation of farming interests by persons otherwise in violation of this Act if such interests are not increased or expanded for the five-year period following enactment of this Act. Sets forth civil penalties for violations of provisions of such Act. Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to submit recommendations to the Congress for adjustments to the limitation on nonfarming business assets to reflect changes in economic conditions. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to acquire at fair market value any property or interest of which a person is required to divest himself under the provisions of this Act if the person is otherwise unable to divest himself of such property.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in House" stage on July 24, 1980. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on July 24, 1980: Referred to House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 96th Congress (1979-80), 613 of the 12,581 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 4.9 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
ROBERT KASTENMEIER (D-WI) introduced it on July 24, 1980, and 14 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They come from both major parties: 12 Democrats, 1 Republican, 1 independent.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on July 24, 1980, 16849 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 16849 days ago, on July 24, 1980.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 96th Congress has not finished by January 3, 1981 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers