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H.R. 10324House119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

ROMA Act

Sponsored by David G. ValadaoRep. David G. Valadao (R-CA)
Introduced September 8, 2026

AI-Generated Summary

Updated September 11, 2026 at 4:12 AM UTC

The ROMA Act amends the 1977 National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act to create a federal database of isotopic signatures for processing tomatoes. The database will help identify the geographic origin of tomato products and support efforts to detect tomatoes produced with forced labor. It involves the USDA collecting samples, conducting research on testing methods, and coordinating with Customs and Border Protection, with a report to Congress after two years.

Key Provisions

  • The Secretary of Agriculture, through the Agricultural Research Service, must establish and maintain a database of isotopic signatures for processing tomatoes, including domestic and foreign samples.
  • The database must be made available to any individual, agency, university, research station, or private entity that requests it.
  • The USDA must conduct or fund research to improve isotopic testing methods for tomatoes and may allow grant recipients to keep the data they generate.
  • The USDA must coordinate with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to use the database for import inspections of processing tomatoes.
  • Within two years of enactment, the Secretary must report to Congress on the database’s creation, research results, and any recommended actions.

Legislative Activity

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HouseIntro Referral Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.

Agriculture Committee

September 8, 2026

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

September 8, 2026

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.

Agriculture Committee

September 8, 2026

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued September 8, 2026

I

119th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 10324

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

September 8, 2026

Mr. Valadao (for himself, Mr. Rouzer, Mr. Costa, Mr. Gallagher, Mr. Thompson of California, and Mr. Davis of North Carolina) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture

A BILL

To amend the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 to establish a database of isotopic signatures for processing tomatoes, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Rooting Out Mislabeled Agriculture Act or the ROMA Act.

2.

Purpose

The purpose of this Act is to—

(1)

recognize the successful use of a public-private partnership to develop and maintain an isotopic signature for cotton and textile imports and to use such signature to test imports for cotton grown and processed using slave labor in China’s Xingjian province in violation of Public Law 117–78 (commonly known as the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act); and

(2)

encourage a similar process for the creation and testing of processing tomatoes that are sold as paste or mixed into other products.

3.

Isotopic signatures for processing tomatoes

The National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 is amended by inserting after section 1473H (7 U.S.C. 3319k) the following:

1473I.

Isotopic signatures for processing tomatoes

(a)

Database

(1)

Establishment

The Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Agricultural Research Service, shall establish and maintain (directly or by making a grant) a database of isotopic signatures of processing tomatoes.

(2)

Scientific samples

The Secretary shall collect and record (directly or by making a grant) scientific samples, including domestic and foreign samples, as appropriate for maintaining the Database.

(3)

Access

Upon the request of an individual or entity (including a Federal agency, an institution of higher education, an agricultural research station, or a private entity), the Secretary shall provide to such individual or entity, in a timely fashion, information contained in the Database.

(b)

Research of testing methodologies

(1)

Conduct of research

For the purpose of assisting the establishment and maintenance of the Database, the Secretary shall conduct research (directly or by making a grant) on the further development of isotopic testing methods, including methods that may increase accuracy or the breadth of testable biological materials.

(2)

Retention of research data

An entity that is awarded a grant to conduct research under paragraph (1) may retain a copy of any data generated through such research.

(c)

Coordination

In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall coordinate with the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection on how to best support customs and import inspections of processing tomatoes using the isotopic signatures in the Database.

(d)

Report

Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report that includes—

(1)

an analysis of the establishment and use of the Database;

(2)

a description of the results of the research conducted under subsection (b)(1); and

(3)

any recommendations for legislative or administrative action.

(e)

Definitions

In this section:

(1)

Database

The term Database means the database established under subsection (a)(1).

(2)

Isotopic signature

The term isotopic signature means a usable geographic fingerprint created by examining a unique ratio of stable or radioactive isotopes as well as the specific ratio of elements like hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, and nitrogen for a subject item, including through trace element analysis, stable isotope ratio analysis, or any other process capable of identifying the geographic place of origin of the subject item.

(3)

Secretary

The term Secretary means the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Agricultural Research Service.

.