---
kind: "section"
citation: "7 U.S.C. § 4601"
title: "7"
title_heading: "Agriculture"
number: "4601"
heading: "Findings and purposes"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/7/4601"
units:
  - "Chapter 77 — Honey Research, Promotion, and Consumer Information"
---

# §4601. Findings and purposes

- (a) **Findings—** Congress makes the following findings:
  - (1) [Honey](/usc/7/4602.md?p=7) is produced by many individual [producers](/usc/7/4602.md?p=16) in every [State](/usc/7/4602.md?p=23) in the United States.
  - (2) [Honey](/usc/7/4602.md?p=7) and [honey products](/usc/7/4602.md?p=10) move in large part in the channels of interstate and foreign commerce, and [honey](/usc/7/4602.md?p=7) which does not move in such channels directly burdens or affects interstate commerce.
  - (3) In recent years, large quantities of low-cost, imported [honey](/usc/7/4602.md?p=7) have been brought into the United States, replacing domestic [honey](/usc/7/4602.md?p=7) in the normal trade channels.
  - (4) The maintenance and expansion of existing [honey](/usc/7/4602.md?p=7) [markets](/usc/7/198.md?p=1) and the development of new or improved [markets](/usc/7/198.md?p=1) or uses are vital to the welfare of [honey](/usc/7/4602.md?p=7) [producers](/usc/7/4602.md?p=16) and those concerned with [marketing](/usc/7/4602.md?p=13), using, and processing [honey](/usc/7/4602.md?p=7), along with those engaged in general agricultural endeavors requiring bees for pollinating purposes.
  - (5) The [honey production](/usc/7/4602.md?p=9) industry within the United States is comprised mainly of small- and medium-sized businesses.
  - (6) The development and implementation of coordinated programs of [research](/usc/7/4602.md?p=21), [promotion](/usc/7/4602.md?p=18), [consumer education](/usc/7/4602.md?p=2), and [industry information](/usc/7/4602.md?p=12) necessary for the maintenance of [markets](/usc/7/198.md?p=1) and the development of new [markets](/usc/7/198.md?p=1) have been inadequate.
  - (7) Without cooperative action in providing for and financing such programs, [honey](/usc/7/4602.md?p=7) [producers](/usc/7/4602.md?p=16), [honey](/usc/7/4602.md?p=7) [handlers](/usc/7/4602.md?p=6), wholesalers, and [retailers](/usc/7/499a.md?p=b-11) are unable to implement programs of [research](/usc/7/4602.md?p=21), [promotion](/usc/7/4602.md?p=18), [consumer education](/usc/7/4602.md?p=2), and [industry information](/usc/7/4602.md?p=12) necessary to maintain and improve [markets](/usc/7/198.md?p=1) for these products.
  - (8) The ability to develop and maintain purity standards for [honey](/usc/7/4602.md?p=7) and [honey products](/usc/7/4602.md?p=10) is critical to maintaining the consumer confidence, safety, and trust that are essential components of any undertaking to maintain and develop [markets](/usc/7/198.md?p=1) for [honey](/usc/7/4602.md?p=7) and [honey products](/usc/7/4602.md?p=10).
  - (9) [Research](/usc/7/4602.md?p=21) directed at improving the cost effectiveness and efficiency of beekeeping, as well as developing better means of dealing with pest and disease problems, is essential to keeping [honey](/usc/7/4602.md?p=7) and [honey](/usc/7/4602.md?p=7) product prices competitive and facilitating [market](/usc/7/198.md?p=1) growth as well as maintaining the financial well-being of the [honey](/usc/7/4602.md?p=7) industry.
  - (10) [Research](/usc/7/4602.md?p=21) involving the quality, safety, and image of [honey](/usc/7/4602.md?p=7) and [honey products](/usc/7/4602.md?p=10) and how that quality, safety, and image may be affected during the extraction, processing, packaging, [marketing](/usc/7/4602.md?p=13), and other stages of the [honey](/usc/7/4602.md?p=7) and [honey](/usc/7/4602.md?p=7) product production and distribution process, is highly important to building and maintaining [markets](/usc/7/198.md?p=1) for [honey](/usc/7/4602.md?p=7) and [honey products](/usc/7/4602.md?p=10).
- (b) **Purposes—** The purposes of this chapter are—
  - (1) to authorize the establishment of an orderly procedure for the development and financing, through an adequate assessment, of an effective, continuous, and nationally coordinated program of [promotion](/usc/7/4602.md?p=18), [research](/usc/7/4602.md?p=21), [consumer education](/usc/7/4602.md?p=2), and [industry information](/usc/7/4602.md?p=12) designed to—
    - (A) strengthen the position of the [honey](/usc/7/4602.md?p=7) industry in the marketplace;
    - (B) maintain, develop, and expand domestic and foreign [markets](/usc/7/198.md?p=1) and uses for [honey](/usc/7/4602.md?p=7) and [honey products](/usc/7/4602.md?p=10);
    - (C) maintain and improve the competitiveness and efficiency of the [honey](/usc/7/4602.md?p=7) industry; and
    - (D) sponsor [research](/usc/7/4602.md?p=21) to develop better means of dealing with pest and disease problems;
  - (2) to maintain and expand the [markets](/usc/7/198.md?p=1) for all [honey](/usc/7/4602.md?p=7) and [honey products](/usc/7/4602.md?p=10) in a manner that—
    - (A) is not designed to maintain or expand any individual [producer](/usc/7/4602.md?p=16)’s, [importer](/usc/7/4602.md?p=11)’s, or [handler](/usc/7/4602.md?p=6)’s share of the [market](/usc/7/198.md?p=1); and
    - (B) does not compete with or replace individual advertising or [promotion](/usc/7/4602.md?p=18) efforts designed to promote individual brand name or trade name [honey](/usc/7/4602.md?p=7) or [honey products](/usc/7/4602.md?p=10); and
  - (3) to authorize and fund programs that result in government speech promoting government objectives.
- (c) **Administration—** Nothing in this chapter—
  - (1) prohibits the sale of various grades of [honey](/usc/7/4602.md?p=7);
  - (2) provides for control of [honey production](/usc/7/4602.md?p=9);
  - (3) limits the right of the individual [honey](/usc/7/4602.md?p=7) [producer](/usc/7/4602.md?p=16) to produce [honey](/usc/7/4602.md?p=7); or
  - (4) creates a trade barrier to [honey](/usc/7/4602.md?p=7) or [honey products](/usc/7/4602.md?p=10) produced in a foreign country.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 98–590, § 2, Oct. 30, 1984, 98 Stat. 3115; Pub. L. 105–185, title VI, § 605(a), June 23, 1998, 112 Stat. 587.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1998—Pub. L. 105–185, § 605(a)(1), added section catchline and struck out former section catchline, designated introductory provisions and pars. (1) to (7) as subsec. (a), inserted heading, and substituted “Congress makes the following findings” for “The Congress finds that” in introductory provisions.

Subsec. (a)(6), (7). Pub. L. 105–185, § 605(a)(2)(A), substituted “consumer education, and industry information” for “and consumer education”.

Subsec. (a)(8) to (10). Pub. L. 105–185, § 605(a)(2)(B), added pars. (8) to (10).

Subsecs. (b), (c). Pub. L. 105–185, § 605(a)(3), added subsecs. (b) and (c) and struck out former subsec. (b) which read as follows:

“(b)(1) It is, therefore, the purpose of this chapter to authorize the establishment of an orderly procedure for the development and financing, through an adequate assessment, of an effective and coordinated program of research, promotion, and consumer education designed to strengthen the position of the honey industry in the marketplace and maintain, develop, and expand markets for honey and honey products.

“(2) Nothing in this chapter may be construed to dictate quality standards for honey, provide for control of its production, or otherwise limit the right of the individual honey producer to produce honey. This chapter treats foreign producers equitably, and nothing in this chapter may be construed as a trade barrier to honey produced in foreign countries.”

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Short Title of 1990 Amendment

Pub. L. 101–624, title XIX, § 1981, Nov. 28, 1990, 104 Stat. 3904, provided that: “This chapter [chapter 1 (§§ 1981–1987) of subtitle F of title XIX of Pub. L. 101–624, enacting section 4610a of this title, amending sections 4602, 4606, 4608, and 4612 of this title, and enacting provisions set out as a note under section 4603 of this title] may be cited as the ‘Honey Research, Promotion, and Consumer Information Act Amendments of 1990’.”

### Short Title

Pub. L. 98–590, § 1, Oct. 30, 1984, 98 Stat. 3115, provided that: “This Act [enacting this chapter] may be cited as the ‘Honey Research, Promotion, and Consumer Information Act’.”