[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 765 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 765

  To amend the Poultry Products Inspection Act to cover birds of the 
          order Ratitae that are raised for use as human food.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 12, 1999

 Mr. Thompson of Mississippi (for himself, Mr. Bishop, and Mr. Shows) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                              Agriculture

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                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the Poultry Products Inspection Act to cover birds of the 
          order Ratitae that are raised for use as human food.

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

SECTION 1. EXPANSION OF DEFINITION OF POULTRY TO INCLUDE RATITES.

    (a) Definition of Poultry.--Section 4(e) of the Poultry Products 
Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 453(e)) is amended by adding at the end the 
following new sentence: ``The term includes birds of the order Ratitae, 
such as ostriches, emus, and rheas, that are raised for distribution in 
commerce as human food.''.
    (b) Implementation of Amendment.--Beginning 180 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, establishments in the United States that 
slaughter or process birds of the order Ratitae for distribution in 
commerce as human food shall be subject to the ante mortem and post 
mortem inspection, reinspection and sanitation requirements of the 
Poultry Products Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 451 et seq.) rather than the 
voluntary poultry inspection program of the Department of Agriculture 
under section 203 of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 
1622).
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