ROMA Act

This legislation, known as the "Rooting Out Mislabeled Agriculture Act" or the ROMA Act, aims to establish a system for identifying the geographic origin of processing tomatoes. It draws inspiration from a successful public-private partnership that uses isotopic signatures to detect cotton and textile imports produced with forced labor. The bill mandates the Secretary of Agriculture, through the Agricultural Research Service, to establish and maintain a database of isotopic signatures for processing tomatoes, collecting both domestic and foreign samples. This database will be accessible to various entities, including federal agencies, universities, and private organizations, upon request.

Furthermore, the Secretary is directed to conduct research to further develop and improve isotopic testing methods, potentially increasing accuracy and the breadth of testable biological materials. The Act requires coordination with the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection to effectively utilize these isotopic signatures for customs and import inspections of processing tomatoes. Within two years, the Secretary must submit a report to Congress detailing the database's establishment and use, research results, and any recommendations for future action. An isotopic signature is defined as a usable geographic fingerprint created by analyzing unique ratios of stable or radioactive isotopes and elements to identify a product's place of origin.