II 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3350 

To amend the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921, to clarify the duties 

relating to services furnished in connection with the buying or selling 

of livestock in commerce through online, video, or other electronic methods, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 15, 2016 

Mr. COCHRAN (for himself and Mr. TESTER) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry 

A BILL 

To amend the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921, to clarify 

the duties relating to services furnished in connection 

with the buying or selling of livestock in commerce 

through online, video, or other electronic methods, and 

for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Clarification of Treat5 ment of Electronic Sales of Livestock Act of 2016’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. DEFINITION OF MARKET AGENCY. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 301(c) of the Packers and 

3 Stockyards Act, 1921 (7 U.S.C. 201(c)) is amended— 

4 (1) by striking ‘‘; and’’ at the end and inserting 

5 a period; and 

6 (2) by adding at the end the following: ‘‘Begin7 ning on the date of the enactment of the Clarifica8 tion of Treatment of Electronic Sales of Livestock 

9 Act of 2016, such term includes any person who en10 gages in the business of buying or selling livestock, 

11 on a commission or other fee basis, through the use 

12 of online, video, or other electronic methods when 

13 handling or providing the means to handle receiv14 ables or proceeds from such buying or selling, so 

15 long as such person’s annual average of online, 

16 video, or electronic sales of livestock, on a commis17 sion or other fee basis, exceeds $250,000.’’. 

18 (b) TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS.—Section 301 of the 

19 Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921 (7 U.S.C. 201) is 

20 amended— 

21 (1) in the matter preceding subsection (a), by 

22 striking ‘‘When used in this Act—’’ and inserting 

23 ‘‘In this Act:’’; 

24 (2) in subsection (a), by striking the semicolon 

25 at the end and inserting a period; and 

26 (3) in subsection (b)— 


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1 (A) by striking ‘‘weighting’’ and inserting 

2 ‘‘weighing’’; and 

3 (B) by striking the semicolon at the end 

4 and inserting a period. 

5 SEC. 3. METHODS TO TRANSFER FUNDS. 

6 Section 409(a) of the Packers and Stockyards Act, 

7 1921 (7 U.S.C. 228b(a)) is amended— 

8 (1) in the first proviso, by striking ‘‘shall wire 

9 transfer funds to the seller’s account’’ each place it 

10 appears and inserting ‘‘shall transfer funds for the 

11 full amount of the purchase price to the account of 

12 the seller by wire, electronic funds transfer, or any 

13 other expeditious method determined appropriate by 

14 the Secretary’’; and 

15 (2) in the second proviso, by striking ‘‘or dealer 

16 shall wire transfer funds’’ and inserting ‘‘or dealer 

17 shall transfer funds for the full amount of the pur18 chase price by wire, electronic funds transfer, or any 

19 other expeditious method determined appropriate by 

20 the Secretary’’. 

Æ 


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