An Act to amend the Federal Meat Inspection Act to require that meat inspected and approved under such Act be produced only from livestock slaughtered in accordance with humane methods, and for other purposes.
PL 95-445 (S.3092), enacted 10/10/1978

PUBLIC LAW 95-445—OCT. 10, 1978 
92 STAT. 1069 
Public Law 95-445 
95th Congress 
An Act 
To amend the Federal Meat Insyeetiou Act to require that meat mspected and 
approved under such Act he produced only from livestock slaughtered in 
accordance with humane methods, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled^ That this Act may 
be cited as the "Humane Methods of Slaughter Act of 1978". 
SEC. 2. Section 3 of the Federal Meat Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 603) 
is amended by inserting "(a)" immediately before the first sentence 
and adding at the end thereof a new subsection (b) as follows: 
"(b) For the purpose of preventing the inhumane slaughtering of 
livestock, the Secretary shall cause to be made, by inspectors appointed 
for that purpose, an examination and inspection of the method by 
which cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses, mules, and other equines are 
slaughtered and handled in connection with slaughter in the slaughter-
ing establishments inspected under this Act. The Secretary may refuse 
to provide inspection to a new slaughtering establishment or may cause 
inspection to be temporarily suspended at a slaughtering establish-
ment if the Secretary finds that any cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses, 
mules, or other equines have been slaughtered or handled in connection 
with slaughter at such establishment by any method not in accordance 
with the Act of August 27, 1958 (72 Stat. 862; 7 U.S.C. 1901-1906) 
until the establishment furnishes assurances satisfactory to the Secre-
tary that all slaughtering and handling in connection with slaughter 
of livestock shall be in accordance with such a method.". 
SEC. 3. Section 10 of the Federal Meat Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 
610) is amended by redesignating subsections (b) and (c) as subsec-
tions (c) and (d), respectively, and inserting after subsection (a) a 
new subsection (b) as follows: 
" (b) slaughter or handle in connection with slaughter any such 
animals in any manner not in accordance with the Act of August 
27,1958 (72 Stat. 862; 7 U.S.C. 1901-1906);". 
SEC. 4. Section 20(a) of the Federal Meat Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 
620) is amended by inserting after the first sentence a new sentence as 
follows: "No such carcasses, parts of carcasses, meat or meat food 
products shall be imported into the United States unless the livestock 
from which they were produced was slaughtered and handled in con-
nection with slaughter in accordance with the Act of August 27,1958 
(72 Stat. 862; 7 U.S.C. 1901-1906).". 
SEC. 5. The Act of August 27,1958 (72 Stat. 862; 7 U.S.C. 1901-1906) 
is amended by— 
(a) inserting before the period at the end of section 2(b) "and 
handling in connection with such slaughtering"; 
(b) repealing sections 3, 4(c), and 5; 
(c) striking out "for purposes of section 3 hereof" in section 
4(b); 
(d) 
4(a); 
(e) 
inserting "and" after the semicolon at the end of section 
and 
striking out the semicolon at the end of section 4(b) and 
Oct. 10, 1978 
[S. 3092] 
Humane 
Methods of 
Slaughter Act 
of 1978. 
21 use 601 note. 
7 use 1902. 
Repeals. 
7 use 
1903-1905. 
7 use 1904. 
inserting a period in lieu thereof. 
92 STAT. 1070 
PUBLIC LAW 95-445—OCT. 10, 1978 
21 u s e 603 note. 
"Ritual 
slaughter." 
Effective date. 
21 u s e 603 note. 
SEC. 6. Nothing in this Act shall be construed to prohibit, abridge, 
or in any way hinder the religious freedom of any person or group. 
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, in order to protect 
freedom of religion, ritual slaughter and the handling or other prepa-
ration of livestock for ritual slaughter are exempted from the terms of 
this Act. For the purposes of this section the term "ritual slaughter" 
means slaughter in accordance with section 2(b) of the Act of August 
27,1958 (72 Stat. 862; 7 U.S.C. 1902(b)). 
SEC. 7. The provisions of this Act shall become effective one year 
after the date of enactment. However, such provisions shall not apply 
to a person, firm, or corporation for such additional period of time, 
not to exceed eighteen months, as may be determined by the Secretarj', 
if the Secretary, upon application, finds that compliance with the pro-
visions of this Act on its effective date would cause undue hardship on 
such person, firm, or corporation. 
Approved October 10, 1978. 
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LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: 
HOUSE REPORT No. 95-1336 accompanying H.R. 1464 (eomm. on Agriculture). 
SENATE REPORT No. 95-1059 (eomm. on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 124 (1978): 
Aug. 7, considered and passed Senate. 
Sept. 19, H.R. 1464 considered and passed House; passage vacated and S. 3092, 
amended, passed in lieu. 
Sept. 28, Senate concurred in House amendments.