DIRECT Act

Bill: 117-hr-547
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Johnson, Dusty [R-SD-At Large]
Introduced: 2021-01-28
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Subjects: Food industry and services

Food supply, safety, and labeling

Internet and video services

Internet, web applications, social media

Meat

Retail and wholesale trades

State and local government operations
Latest action: action_date: 2021-02-24
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Livestock and Foreign Agriculture.

Summaries:
action_date: 2021-01-28
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Direct Interstate Retail Exemption for Certain Transactions Act or the</b> <b>DIRECT Act</b></p> <p>This bill allows meat and poultry products inspected by State Meat and Poultry Inspection programs to be sold by retail stores, restaurants, or similar retail-type establishments over the internet and shipped by a carrier in commerce (other than for export to a foreign country), provided the meat and poultry products so inspected are shipped directly to household consumers and in normal retail quantities. (Under the inspection programs, the Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service allows states that meet certain requirements to inspect meat and poultry. The state-inspected products are currently limited to intrastate commerce, unless a state opts into a separate Cooperative Interstate Shipment Program.)</p>

tv_txt: I 117th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 547 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 28, 2021 Mr. Johnson of South Dakota (for himself and Mr. Cuellar ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture A BILL To amend the Federal Meat Inspection Act and the Poultry Products Inspection Act to allow for the interstate internet sales of certain State-inspected meat and poultry, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Direct Interstate Retail Exemption for Certain Transactions Act or the DIRECT Act . 2. Interstate internet sales of certain State-inspected meat (a) In general Section 301 of the Federal Meat Inspection Act ( 21 U.S.C. 661 ) is amended— (1) in subsection (a)(1), by inserting or for distribution pursuant to the second sentence of subsection (c)(2) before the period at the end; and (2) in subsection (c)(2)— (A) in the first sentence, by inserting or by after conducted at each place it appears; and (B) by inserting after the first sentence the following: For the purposes of this paragraph, any retail store, restaurant, or similar retail-type establishment may sell over the internet and ship by carrier in commerce (other than for export to a foreign country) any State-inspected meat or meat food product, provided that the State-inspected meat or meat food product is shipped directly to household consumers and in normal retail quantities. . (b) Technical amendments Section 301 of the Federal Meat Inspection Act ( 21 U.S.C. 661 ) is amended— (1) by striking he each place it appears and inserting the Secretary ; and (2) in subsection (c)— (A) in paragraph (1), in the first sentence, by striking subparagraph (2) and inserting paragraph (2) ; (B) in paragraph (2)— (i) in the first sentence, by striking paragraph (c) and inserting subsection ; and (ii) in the third sentence (as so redesignated), by striking subparagraph and inserting paragraph ; (C) in paragraph (3)— (i) by striking paragraph (c) each place it appears and inserting subsection ; (ii) by striking subparagraph (1) and inserting paragraph (1) ; and (iii) by striking this paragraph each place it appears and inserting this subsection ; and (D) in paragraph (4), by striking paragraph (c) and inserting subsection . 3. Interstate internet sales of certain State-inspected poultry (a) In general Section 5 of the Poultry Products Inspection Act ( 21 U.S.C. 454 ) is amended— (1) in subsection (a)(1), by inserting or for distribution pursuant to the second sentence of subsection (c)(2) before the period at the end; and (2) in subsection (c)(2)— (A) in the first sentence, by inserting or by after conducted at each place it appears; and (B) by inserting after the first sentence the following: For the purposes of this paragraph, any retail store, restaurant, or similar retail-type establishment may sell over the internet and ship by carrier in commerce (other than for export to a foreign country) any State-inspected poultry product, provided that the State-inspected poultry product is shipped directly to household consumers and in normal retail quantities. . (b) Technical amendments Section 5 of the Poultry Products Inspection Act ( 21 U.S.C. 454 ) is amended— (1) by striking he each place it appears and inserting the Secretary ; (2) in subsection (a)(3), in the third sentence, by striking subparagraph (4) and inserting paragraph (4) ; and (3) in subsection (c)— (A) in paragraph (1)— (i) in the first sentence, by striking subparagraph (2) of this paragraph (c) and inserting paragraph (2) ; and (ii) in the fourth sentence, by striking subparagraph (a)(4) of this section and inserting subsection (a)(4) ; (B) in paragraph (2)— (i) in the first sentence, by striking paragraph (c) and inserting subsection ; and (ii) in the third sentence (as so redesignated), by striking subparagraph and inserting paragraph ; (C) in paragraph (3)— (i) by striking subparagraph (1) of this paragraph (c) and inserting paragraph (1) ; (ii) by striking paragraph (c) each place it appears and inserting subsection ; and (iii) by striking this paragraph each place it appears and inserting this subsection ; and (D) in paragraph (4), by striking paragraph (c) and inserting subsection .