Title: Safe Line Speeds in COVID–19 Act
Policy area: Agriculture and Food

Summary:
Safe Line Speeds in COVID-19 Act
This bill directs the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the Department of Agriculture (USDA), for the duration of the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) emergency period, to suspend any waivers and not issue new waivers related to line speeds in meat and poultry establishments and inspection staffing requirements for such establishments. Additionally, the implementation of, and conversion to, the New Swine Slaughter Inspection System must be suspended.
No funds made available to USDA during the COVID-19 emergency period shall be used to develop, propose, finalize, issue, amend, or implement any policy, regulation, directive, constituent update, or any other agency program that would increase line speeds at meat and poultry establishments.
Upon termination of the COVID-19 emergency period, the Government Accountability Office shall conduct a review of actions taken by specific federal agencies, including USDA, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to determine the effectiveness of such actions in protecting animal, food, and worker safety.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7521 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7521

  To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to suspend increases in line 
   speeds at meat and poultry establishments, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              July 9, 2020

 Ms. Fudge (for herself, Ms. DeLauro, and Mr. Thompson of Mississippi) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
Agriculture, and in addition to the Committees on Education and Labor, 
and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by 
the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to suspend increases in line 
   speeds at meat and poultry establishments, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Safe Line Speeds in COVID-19 Act''.

SEC. 2. SUSPENDING AUTHORITY TO INCREASE LINE SPEEDS AT MEAT AND 
              POULTRY ESTABLISHMENTS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the 
Administrator of the Food Safety and Inspection Service, for the 
duration of the COVID-19 emergency period, shall--
            (1) suspend any waivers related to line speeds in covered 
        establishments and inspection staffing requirements for covered 
        establishments issued before the date of the enactment of this 
        Act, and not issue any new waivers to such establishments, 
        including under sections 303.1(h) and 381.3(b) of title 9, Code 
        of Federal Regulations (or successor regulations); and
            (2) suspend implementation of, and conversion to, the New 
        Swine Slaughter Inspection System as described in the final 
        rule entitled ``Modernization of Swine Slaughter Inspection'' 
        issued by the Department of Agriculture in the Federal Register 
        on October 1, 2019 (84 Fed. Reg. 52300 et seq.).
    (b) Limitation on Authority With Respect to Line Speeds.--None of 
the funds made available to the Department of Agriculture during the 
COVID-19 emergency period shall be used to develop, propose, finalize, 
issue, amend, or implement any policy, regulation, directive, 
constituent update, or any other agency program that would increase 
line speeds at covered establishments.
    (c) Effect on State Law.--The provisions of this section are in 
addition to, and not in lieu of, any other laws protecting worker 
safety and animal welfare. This section shall not be construed to 
preempt or limit any law or regulation of a State or a political 
subdivision of a State containing requirements that are more protective 
of worker safety or animal welfare than the requirements of this 
section, or which create penalties for conduct regulated by this 
section.
    (d) GAO Report.--Upon termination of the COVID-19 emergency period, 
the Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a review of 
actions taken by the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Labor, 
and the Secretary of Health and Human Services in response to the 
COVID-19 pandemic to determine the effectiveness of such actions in 
protecting animal, food, and worker safety. Such review shall include 
an analysis of, with respect to covered establishments--
            (1) all policies and regulations relating to inspections of 
        such establishments implemented by the Secretary of 
        Agriculture, the Secretary of Labor, and the Secretary of 
        Health and Human Services relating to COVID-19;
            (2) the pandemic emergency preparedness plans of such 
        establishments;
            (3) the extent to which such facilities have implemented 
        guidance and recommendations to space workers six feet apart on 
        production lines, break rooms, locker rooms, and all other 
        workspaces;
            (4) the quantity and usage of personal protective equipment 
        by workers at such establishments;
            (5) any guidance provided to inspectors of such 
        establishments by the Secretary of Agriculture, Secretary of 
        Labor, and the Secretary of Health and Human Services during 
        the COVID-19 emergency period;
            (6) actions taken by the Secretary of Agriculture, the 
        Secretary of Labor, and the Secretary of Health and Human 
        Services to protect animals, food, and workers at covered 
        establishments with reported cases of COVID-19;
            (7) all humane handling reports issued, and enforcement 
        actions taken, by the Department of Agriculture in accordance 
        with the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act (7 U.S.C. 1901 et 
        seq.) and the good commercial practices regulations under the 
        Poultry Products Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 451 et seq.) during 
        the COVID-19 emergency period;
            (8) the impact of faster line speeds on the ability of such 
        establishments to maintain protections for employees; and
            (9) any interference by any other Federal agency with 
        reviews of any such establishments experiencing outbreaks of 
        COVID-19 conducted by personnel of the Centers for Disease 
        Control and Prevention.
    (e) Reports to Congress.--Not later than December 31, 2020, the 
Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Labor, and the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services shall each submit to the Committee on 
Agriculture and the Committee on Education and Labor of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
Pensions and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of 
the Senate a report on the actions taken by the Secretary of 
Agriculture, the Secretary of Labor, and the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services, respectively, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to 
protect animal, food, and worker safety. Each such report shall include 
the respective Secretary's analysis of, with respect to facilities 
operated by covered processors, the matters specified in each (as 
applicable) of paragraphs (1) through (8) of subsection (d).
    (f) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) The term ``covered establishment'' means an official 
        meat or poultry establishment that is subject to inspection 
        under the Federal Meat Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) 
        or the Poultry Products Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 451 et seq.).
            (2) The term ``COVID-19 emergency period'' means--
                    (A) the emergency period, as defined in section 
                1135(g)(1)(B) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
                1320b-5(g)(1)(B)); and
                    (B) the 90-day period that follows the end of such 
                emergency period.
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