119-s782

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 782 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

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119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 782

 To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to amend regulations to allow 
 for certain packers to have an interest in market agencies, and for 
 other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 February 27, 2025

 Mr. Lujan (for himself and Ms. Ernst) introduced the following bill; 
 which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, 
 Nutrition, and Forestry

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to amend regulations to allow 
 for certain packers to have an interest in market agencies, 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 ``Expanding Local Meat Processing Act 
of 2025''.

SEC. 2. ALLOWED INTEREST OF CERTAIN PACKERS IN MARKET AGENCIES.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall revise 

section 201.67 
of title 9, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on the date of 
enactment of this Act), to exempt the packers described in subsection

    (b) from the prohibition described in that section.

    (b) Packers Described.--A packer referred to in subsection

    (a) is a 
packer that--

    (1) with respect to cattle or sheep, has a cumulative 
 slaughter capacity of less than--
        (A) 2,000 animals per day; or
        (B) 700,000 animals per year; and

    (2) with respect to hogs, has a cumulative slaughter 
 capacity of less than--
        (A) 10,000 animals per day; or
        (B) 3,000,000 animals per year.
            (c) Required Disclosure.--In the case of a market agency that has 
an ownership interest in, finances, or participates in the management 
or operation of a packer to which the market agency sells consigned 
livestock, the market agency shall disclose on the account of sale the 
name of the packer and the nature of the relationship between the 
market agency and the packer.
            (d) Savings Clause.--Nothing in this section limits the authority 
of the Secretary of Agriculture to adopt or enforce rules or 
regulations under the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921 (7 U.S.C. 181 et 
seq.), relating to the protection of producers, competition, market 
integrity, or the prevention of conflicts of interest.
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