Blog #3

​PART 3
1. What is the status of your issue at the legislature? Is this a "good" year?
My bill is the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act. On November 30, 2010, my bill passed the senate with a vote of 73 yes, 25 no. Before the Food Safety Modernization Act the legislation were trying to set in motion major improvements to the security and safety of our nation’s food supply. 

2. Who is essential to the outcome?

The sponsor of the bill Sen. Richard Durbin [D-IL] currently is the stakeholder to whether or not this bill will get pressed on. Each year, illness from unhealthy food strikes 48 million Americans, hospitalizing and killing thousands. Because of this most of congress have supported this bill. If this bill were to pass foods that are consumed everyday in the United States would be check thoroughly before being distributed to the stores. 

3. Who else is working on this? Can you coordinate?

There are many organizations working on this bill they include: Consumers Union, Citizens for Health, and the US Chamber of Commerce. These organizations plan on helping the bill pass by supporting it however they can. I could call a few of them and set up phone interviews. 

4. Who can you influence?
Since the Secretary of Health and Human Services are going to be required to create a food tracing system that would streamline the process of finding the source of contamination, should an outbreak occur. Influencing many corporations is going to be easier. If there were another outbreak of  contaminated food it will be easier for those corporations to get their products back, which in the end means less people will get sick and sue. 

5. What is the time frame?

Since this is a fairly new bill there are no deadlines at the present moment. The latest actions that have taken place were in March.

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s111-510&tab=summary
http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-s510/money
http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2011/01/fda-food-safety-modernization-act-out-of-the-box
http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2010/11/30/s-510-the-fda-food-safety-modernization-act-the-basics/

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