[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2103 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2103

   To amend the Federal Meat Inspection Act and the Poultry Products 
   Inspection Act to provide for the eventual removal of intrastate 
     distribution restrictions on State inspected meat and poultry.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 26, 1997

Mr. Thornberry (for himself, Mr. Stenholm, Mr. Thune, Mr. Combest, Mr. 
Livingston, and Mr. Sessions) 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 provide for the eventual removal of intrastate 
     distribution restrictions on State inspected meat and poultry.

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

SECTION 1. REMOVAL OF INTRASTATE DISTRIBUTION RESTRICTIONS ON STATE 
              INSPECTED MEAT AND POULTRY.

    (a) Federal Meat Inspection Act.--
            (1) Removal of intrastate distribution limitation.--Section 
        301 of the Federal Meat Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 661) is 
        amended--
                    (A) by redesignating subsection (d) as subsection 
                (e); and
                    (B) by inserting after subsection (c) the following 
                new subsection:
    ``(d) Removal of Intrastate Distribution Limitation.--
    ``(1) Permanent removal.--Effective January 25, 2000, the 
limitation in subsection (a)(1) that restricts State inspected meat and 
meat food products to intrastate distribution shall no longer apply.
    ``(2) Early waiver authority.--Before the date specified in 
paragraph (1), the Secretary shall waive the intrastate distribution 
limitation in subsection (a)(1) with regard to a State if the Secretary 
determines that the meat inspection agency for the State enforces a 
State meat inspection law that imposes mandatory ante mortem and post 
mortem inspection, reinspection, and sanitation requirements that are 
at least equal to those under title I and IV of this Act, with respect 
to persons engaged in the State in slaughtering cattle, sheep, swine, 
goats, or equines, or preparing the carcasses, parts thereof, meat or 
meat food products, of any such animals for use as human food.''.
            (2) Conforming amendments.--Subsection (a) of such section 
        is amended--
                    (A) in the matter before paragraph (1), by striking 
                ``this policy--'' and inserting ``this policy:''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (1), by striking ``The Secretary 
                is'' and inserting ``Subject to subsection (d), the 
                Secretary is''.
    (b) Poultry Products Inspection Act.--
            (1) Removal of intrastate distribution limitation.--Section 
        5 of the Poultry Products Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 454) is 
        amended--
                    (A) by redesignating subsection (d) as subsection 
                (e); and
                    (B) by inserting after subsection (c) the following 
                new subsection:
    ``(d) Removal of Intrastate Distribution Limitation.--
    ``(1) Permanent removal.--Effective January 25, 2000, the 
limitation in subsection (a)(1) that restricts State inspected poultry 
and poultry products to intrastate distribution shall no longer apply.
    ``(2) Early waiver authority.--Before the date specified in 
paragraph (1), the Secretary shall waive the intrastate distribution 
limitation in subsection (a)(1) with regard to a State if the Secretary 
determines that the poultry product inspection agency for the State 
enforces a mandatory State poultry product inspection law that imposes 
ante mortem and post mortem inspection, reinspection, and sanitation 
requirements that are at least equal to those under this Act, with 
respect to persons engaged in the State in slaughtering poultry or 
processing poultry products for use as human food.''.
            (2) Conforming amendments.--Subsection (a) of such section 
        is amended--
                    (A) in the matter before paragraph (1), by striking 
                ``this policy--'' and inserting ``this policy:''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (1), by striking ``The Secretary 
                is'' and inserting ``Subject to subsection (d), the 
                Secretary is''.
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