H.R. 7818

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7818 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7818

To amend the Federal Meat Inspection Act to allow interstate shipment 
of meat and meat food products inspected and passed under qualifying 
State programs.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

March 5, 2026

Mr. Burchett introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To amend the Federal Meat Inspection Act to allow interstate shipment 
of meat and meat food products inspected and passed under qualifying 
State programs.

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 ``American Meat Freedom Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds the following:
(1) State meat inspection programs are authorized under 
section 301 of the Federal Meat Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 661) 
if the Secretary of Agriculture determines that such programs 
impose requirements ``at least equal to'' those imposed under 
Federal inspection.
(2) Ranchers and small-scale meat producers operating under 
compliant State inspection programs are currently limited in 
their ability to access interstate markets.
(3) Allowing interstate shipment of meat and meat food 
products inspected under qualifying State programs will--
(A) expand market access for small and mid-sized 
ranchers;
(B) increase competition in meat processing;
(C) strengthen domestic food supply resilience; and
(D) maintain food safety standards equivalent to 
Federal inspection.

SEC. 3. INTERSTATE SHIPMENT OF STATE-INSPECTED MEAT.

(a) Amendments.--Section 301(a)(1) of the Federal Meat Inspection 
Act (21 U.S.C. 661(a)(1)) is amended--
(1) by striking ``solely for distribution within such 
State''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following: ``Meat or meat food 
products may be shipped, transported, offered for sale, or sold 
in interstate commerce if such meat or meat food products were 
inspected and passed under such a State meat inspection law, 
provided that--
``(A) the Secretary has determined on or after the 
date that is 36 months before such shipment, 
transportation, offering for sale, or sale that the 
State meat inspection law meets the requirements of the 
previous sentence;
``(B) the establishment that produced the meat or 
meat food products has complied, with respect to such 
meat or meat food products, with all applicable 
requirements of such State meat inspection law;
``(C) the meat or meat food product bears labeling 
indicating that it was inspected and passed under a 
State meat inspection program for interstate shipment, 
transportation, and sale; and
``(D) the State that enacted such meat inspection 
law has agreed to submit to periodic audits by the 
Secretary.''.
(b) Rulemaking.--Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall promulgate regulations 
to implement the amendments made by subsection (a).
<all>