Interstate Distribution of State-Inspected Meat Act of 1996

Summary: Interstate Distribution of State-Inspected Meat Act of 1996 - Amends the Federal Meat Inspection Act and the Poultry Products Inspection Act to permit interstate distribution of State-inspected meat and poultry under specified circumstances.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Interstate Distribution of State-
Inspected Meat Act of 1996''.

SEC. 2. FEDERAL AND STATE COOPERATION WITH RESPECT TO MEAT INSPECTION.

    (a) Waiver of Intrastate Distribution Limitation Under the Federal 
Meat Inspection Act.--Section 301(a) of the Federal Meat Inspection Act 
(21 U.S.C. 661(a)) is amended by adding the following paragraph at the 
end thereof:
            ``(5) Upon application of an appropriate State agency with 
        which the Secretary may cooperate under this Act, the Secretary 
        shall reevaluate the applicant State's meat inspection program 
        to verify that its mandatory requirements are at least equal to 
        the Federal inspection, reinspection, and sanitation 
        requirements under title I of this Act.
                    ``(A) In the event that the Secretary verifies that 
                the mandatory inspection requirements of the applicant 
                State are at least equal to Federal inspection 
                requirements, the limitation in paragraph (1) of this 
                section which restricts meat inspected by the applicant 
                State to intrastate distribution shall be waived by the 
                Secretary.
                    ``(B) Following any waiver under subparagraph (A) 
                of this paragraph, the Secretary is authorized to 
                perform random inspections of State-inspected plants 
                within the applicant State to ensure that the mandatory 
                State inspection requirements employed therein are at 
                least equal to the substantive Federal inspection 
                requirements under title I of this Act.
                    ``(C) The Secretary may utilize Federal personnel, 
                or may cooperate with the appropriate State agency 
                under this Act to train and utilize State personnel, to 
                perform any random inspections authorized by this 
                paragraph.
                    ``(D) In the event that a random inspection 
                performed under this paragraph discloses that a State-
                inspected plant is not employing mandatory inspection 
                requirements at least equal to the substantive Federal 
                inspection requirements under title I of this Act, the 
                Secretary shall reimpose the restriction against the 
                interstate distribution of meat and meat products 
                produced at that plant until a subsequent inspection 
                verifies that the plant has reestablished mandatory 
                inspection requirements at least equal to the 
                substantive Federal inspection requirements under title 
                I of this Act.''.
    (b) Waiver of Intrastate Distribution Limitation Under the Poultry 
Products Inspection Act.--Section 5(a) of the Poultry Products 
Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 454(a)) is amended by adding the following 
paragraph at the end thereof:
            ``(5) Upon application of an appropriate State agency with 
        which the Secretary may cooperate under this Act, the Secretary 
        shall reevaluate the applicant State's poultry inspection 
        program to verify that its mandatory requirements are at least 
        equal to the Federal inspection, reinspection, and sanitation 
        requirements of this Act.
                    ``(A) In the event that the Secretary verifies that 
                the mandatory inspection requirements of the applicant 
                State are at least equal to Federal inspection 
                requirements, the limitation in paragraph (1) of this 
                section that restricts poultry or poultry products 
                inspected by the applicant State to intrastate 
                distribution shall be waived by the Secretary.
                    ``(B) Following any waiver under subparagraph (A) 
                of this paragraph, the Secretary is authorized to 
                perform random inspections of State-inspected plants 
                within the applicant State to ensure that the mandatory 
                State inspection requirements employed therein are at 
                least equal to the substantive Federal inspection 
                requirements under title I of this Act.
                    ``(C) The Secretary may utilize Federal personnel, 
                or may cooperate with the appropriate State agency 
                under this Act to train and utilize State personnel, to 
                perform any random inspections authorized by this 
                paragraph.
                    ``(D) In the event that a random inspection 
                performed under this paragraph discloses that a State-
                inspected plant is not employing mandatory inspection 
                requirements at least equal to the substantive Federal 
                inspection requirements of this Act, the Secretary 
                shall reimpose the restriction against the interstate 
                distribution of poultry and poultry products produced 
                at that plant until a subsequent inspection verifies 
                that the plant has reestablished mandatory inspection 
                requirements at least equal to the substantive 
                inspection Federal requirements of this Act.''.