[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1617 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1617

   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

                             April 28, 1999

 Mr. Thornberry (for himself, Mr. Stenholm, Mrs. Cubin, and Mr. Thune) 
 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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