A bill to provide clarification regarding the common or usual name for bison and compliance with section 403 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, and for other purposes.
In Committee
Introduced:Jan 27, 2025
Primary Sponsor
Roger Wicker
R - MS
Cosponsors
9
Quick Stats
Policy Area
Science, Technology, Communications
Summary
This bill provides clarification that bison can be marketed using the common name buffalo for food labeling purposes, ensuring compliance with FDA food labeling requirements while preserving traditional naming conventions for American bison products.
Latest Action
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 88.
AI Summary
Plain-English explanation of this bill
This bill provides clarification that bison can be marketed using the common name buffalo for food labeling purposes, ensuring compliance with FDA food labeling requirements while preserving traditional naming conventions for American bison products.
Last updated: 1/5/2026
Official Summary
Congressional Research Service summary
<p><strong>Tornado Observations Research and Notification Assessment for Development of Operations Act or the TORNADO Act</strong></p><p>This bill requires the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to evaluate and improve its communications about hurricanes, tornadoes, winter storms, and other hazardous weather events.</p><p>Specifically, NOAA must establish a Risk Communication Office to evaluate the effectiveness of NOAA's communications and to identify ways to provide simpler and clearer information to the public about hazardous weather events. NOAA must also (1) establish a research program to modernize its communication systems, and (2) establish a pilot program to implement the research with respect to communications about tornadoes.</p><p>Additionally, the bill requires NOAA to develop a strategic plan for implementing the Warn-on-Forecast System, which aims to provide more advanced warnings of thunderstorm-related events (e.g., tornadoes). The bill also requires NOAA to evaluate its tornado rating system and to conduct post-storm assessments of significant events.</p><p>The bill also provides statutory authority for NOAA's Verification of the Origins of Rotation in Tornadoes Experiment (known as VORTEX-USA), a collaborative project between meteorologists and social scientists to study the conditions that contribute to dangerous tornadoes in the Southeast and the best ways to communicate these events to the public.</p><p>Finally, the Government Accountability Office must report on the National Weather Service's communication technology, particularly with respect to timely notices of hazardous weather events.</p>
Key Points
Main provisions of the bill
Clarifies bison can be labeled as buffalo
Addresses FDA food labeling compliance
Preserves traditional bison product naming
Supports bison ranchers and producers
Resolves common name regulatory ambiguity
How This Impacts Americans
Potential effects on citizens and communities
Bison ranchers and meat producers would have clarity on product labeling. Consumers would continue seeing familiar buffalo naming. The bison industry would avoid potential labeling compliance issues.
Policy Areas
Primary Policy Area
Science, Technology, Communications
Related Subjects
Atmospheric science and weather
Congressional oversight
Earth sciences
Emergency communications systems
Emergency planning and evacuation
Floods and storm protection
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
Natural disasters
Performance measurement
+1 more
Scope & Jurisdiction
Jurisdiction Level
federal
Congressional Session
119th Congress
Citation Reference
258, 119th Congress (2025). "A bill to provide clarification regarding the common or usual name for bison and compliance with section 403 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, and for other purposes.". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/118-s-258