Congress finds that—

(1) sheep and sheep products are important goods;

(2) the production of sheep and sheep products play a significant role in the economy of the United States in that sheep and sheep products are produced throughout the United States and used by millions of people throughout the United States and foreign countries;

(3) sheep and sheep products must be high quality, readily available, handled properly, and marketed efficiently to ensure that consumers have an adequate supply of sheep products;

(4) the maintenance and expansion of existing markets and development of new markets for sheep and sheep products are vital to the welfare of sheep producers and persons concerned with marketing, using, and producing sheep and sheep products, as well as to the general economy of the United States, and necessary to ensure the ready availability and efficient marketing of sheep and sheep products;

(5) there exist established State organizations conducting sheep and sheep product promotion, research, and industry and consumer education programs that are invaluable to the efforts of promoting the consumption of sheep and sheep products;

(6) the cooperative development, financing, and implementation of a coordinated national program of sheep and sheep product promotion, research, consumer information, education, and industry information are necessary to maintain and expand existing markets and develop new markets for sheep and sheep products; and

(7) sheep and sheep products move in interstate and foreign commerce, and sheep and sheep products that do not move in such channels of commerce directly burden or affect interstate commerce in sheep and sheep products.

It is the policy of Congress that it is in the public interest to authorize the establishment, through the exercise of the powers provided in this chapter, of an orderly procedure for developing, financing (through adequate assessments on sheep and sheep products produced or imported into the United States), and carrying out an effective, continuous, coordinated program of promotion, research, consumer information, education, and industry information designed to—

(1) strengthen the position of the sheep and sheep product industry in the marketplace;

(2) maintain and expand existing domestic and foreign markets and uses for sheep and sheep products; and

(3) develop new markets and uses for sheep and sheep products.

Nothing in this chapter provides for the control of production, or otherwise limits, the right of any person to produce sheep or sheep products.

(Pub. L. 103–407, § 2, Oct. 22, 1994, 108 Stat. 4210.)