I
104TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 3750
To permit the interstate distribution of State-inspected meat under
appropriate circumstances.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JUNE 27, 1996
Mr. THORNBERRY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Agriculture
A BILL
To permit the interstate distribution of State-inspected meat
under appropriate circumstances.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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 RE-
SPECT TO MEAT INSPECTION.
(a) WAIVER OF INTRASTATE DISTRIBUTION LIMITA-
TION 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 para-
graph 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 sanita-
tion requirements under title I of this Act.
‘‘(A) In the event that the Secretary veri-
fies that the mandatory inspection requirements
of the applicant State are at least equal to Fed-
eral inspection requirements, the limitation in
paragraph (1) of this section which restricts
meat inspected by the applicant State to intra-
state distribution shall be waived by the Sec-
retary.
‘‘(B) Following any waiver under subpara-
graph (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 in-
spection 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 appro-
priate 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 inspec-
tion performed under this paragraph discloses
that a State-inspected plant is not employing
mandatory inspection requirements at least
equal to the substantive Federal inspection re-
quirements under title I of this Act, the Sec-
retary shall reimpose the restriction against the
interstate distribution of meat and meat prod-
ucts produced at that plant until a subsequent
inspection verifies that the plant has reestab-
lished mandatory inspection requirements at
least equal to the substantive Federal inspection
requirements under title I of this Act.’’.
(b) WAIVER OF INTRASTATE DISTRIBUTION LIMITA-
TION 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 follow-
ing 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 ver-
ify 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 veri-
fies that the mandatory inspection requirements
of the applicant State are at least equal to Fed-
eral inspection requirements, the limitation in
paragraph (1) of this section that restricts poul-
try or poultry products inspected by the appli-
cant State to intrastate distribution shall be
waived by the Secretary.
‘‘(B) Following any waiver under subpara-
graph (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 in-
spection 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 appro-
priate 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 inspec-
tion performed under this paragraph discloses
that a State-inspected plant is not employing
mandatory inspection requirements at least
equal to the substantive Federal inspection re-
quirements of this Act, the Secretary shall re-
impose the restriction against the interstate dis-
tribution of poultry and poultry products pro-
duced at that plant until a subsequent inspec-
tion verifies that the plant has reestablished
mandatory inspection requirements at least
equal to the substantive inspection Federal re-
quirements of this Act.’’.
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