[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4121 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4121

To amend the Federal Meat Inspection Act to help ensure a healthy food 
                    supply, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 1, 2004

Mr. Rehberg (for himself and Mr. Peterson of Minnesota) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Federal Meat Inspection Act to help ensure a healthy food 
                    supply, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Consumer and Producer Protection Act 
of 2004''.

SEC. 2. PREVENTION OF SLAUGHTER FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION OF CERTAIN 
              CATTLE.

    (a) Non-Ambulatory Defined.--Section 1 of the Federal Meat 
Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 601) is amended by adding at the end the 
following new subsection:
    ``(w) The term `non-ambulatory' shall apply to any cattle that, at 
the time of examination and inspection under section 3(a), is unable to 
rise from a recumbent position or unable to walk for any reason, 
including metabolic conditions or central nervous system disorders, 
unless the reason for such inability is fatigue, stress, obdurator 
nerve paralysis, obesity, or one or more broken or fractured 
appendages, severed tendons or ligaments, or dislocated joints.''.
    (b) Prohibition on Allowing Certain Cattle to Pass Inspection.--
Section 3(a) of the Federal Meat Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 603(a)) is 
amended by adding at the end the following new sentence: ``All cattle 
found on such inspection to be non-ambulatory, to test positive for 
central nervous system disorders, to exhibit signs of bovine spongiform 
encephalopathy (including moribund condition, tetanus, or emaciation), 
or to be dead prior to examination and inspection shall be found to be 
adulterated for purposes of section 4.''.
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