Expanding Local Meat Processing Act of 2025

Bill: 119-s-782
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Lujan, Ben Ray [D-NM]
Introduced: 2025-02-27
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Latest action: action_date: 2025-02-27
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

Summaries:
action_date: 2025-02-27
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><strong>Expanding Local Meat Processing Act of 2025</strong></p><p>This bill directs the Department of Agriculture to revise its regulations to allow certain packers to hold an ownership interest in, finance, or participate in the management or operation of a market agency selling livestock on a commission basis.</p><p>The bill applies to packers that have a cumulative slaughter capacity of (1) less than 2,000 animals per day or 700,000 animals per year with respect to cattle or sheep, and (2) less than 10,000 animals per day or 3 million animals per year with respect to hogs.</p><p>In addition, the bill includes a disclosure requirement for a market agency that has an ownership interest in, finances, or participates in the management or operation of a packer to which the agency sells consigned livestock. Specifically, the market agency must disclose on the account of sale (1) the name of the packer, and (2) the nature of the relationship between the market agency and the packer.</p>

tv_txt: II 119th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 782 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES February 27, 2025 Mr. Luján (for himself and Ms. Ernst ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry A BILL To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to amend regulations to allow for certain packers to have an interest in market agencies, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Expanding Local Meat Processing Act of 2025 . 2. Allowed interest of certain packers in market agencies (a) In general Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall revise section 201.67 of title 9, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on the date of enactment of this Act), to exempt the packers described in subsection (b) from the prohibition described in that section. (b) Packers described A packer referred to in subsection (a) is a packer that— (1) with respect to cattle or sheep, has a cumulative slaughter capacity of less than— (A) 2,000 animals per day; or (B) 700,000 animals per year; and (2) with respect to hogs, has a cumulative slaughter capacity of less than— (A) 10,000 animals per day; or (B) 3,000,000 animals per year. (c) Required disclosure In the case of a market agency that has an ownership interest in, finances, or participates in the management or operation of a packer to which the market agency sells consigned livestock, the market agency shall disclose on the account of sale the name of the packer and the nature of the relationship between the market agency and the packer. (d) Savings clause Nothing in this section limits the authority of the Secretary of Agriculture to adopt or enforce rules or regulations under the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921 ( 7 U.S.C. 181 et seq. ), relating to the protection of producers, competition, market integrity, or the prevention of conflicts of interest.