[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 801 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 801

   To amend the Federal Meat Inspection Act and the Poultry Products 
Inspection Act to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to permit the 
 interstate distribution of State-inspected meat and poultry when the 
 Secretary determines that State inspection requirements are at least 
    equal to Federal inspection standards and such requirements are 
                         consistently enforced.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 13, 1997

Mr. Thornberry 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 authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to permit the 
 interstate distribution of State-inspected meat and poultry when the 
 Secretary determines that State inspection requirements are at least 
    equal to Federal inspection standards and such requirements are 
                         consistently enforced.

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

SECTION 1. SECRETARIAL AUTHORITY TO REMOVE INTRASTATE DISTRIBUTION 
              RESTRICTION ON STATE-INSPECTED MEAT AND POULTRY.

    (a) Federal Meat Inspection Act.--Section 301(a)(1) of the Federal 
Meat Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 661(a)(1)) is amended by adding at the 
end the following new sentence: ``If the Secretary determines that a 
State meat inspection program consistently enforces State meat 
inspection requirements that are at least equal to the Federal 
inspection, reinspection, and sanitation requirements under title I of 
this Act, the Secretary may waive the limitation that restricts meat 
and meat food products inspected under that program to intrastate 
distribution.''.
    (b) Poultry Products Inspection Act.--Section 5(a)(1) of the 
Poultry Products Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 454(a)(1)) is amended by 
adding at the end the following new sentence: ``If the Secretary 
determines that a State poultry product inspection program consistently 
enforces State poultry inspection requirements that are at least equal 
to the Federal inspection, reinspection, and sanitation requirements 
under this Act, the Secretary may waive the limitation that restricts 
poultry and poultry products inspected under that program to intrastate 
distribution.''.
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