House Passes Limited Version of PRIME Act on Meat Processing

The House has passed a pilot version of the PRIME Act as part of a larger farm bill. The legislation seeks to ease federal requirements for some meat processing and allow limited intrastate sales under state and local regulation. The bill would permit ranchers and farmers to slaughter livestock at local facilities and sell the meat directly to consumers.

Processors would fall under inspection by state and local health authorities that already oversee restaurants and retail butcher counters. Labeling would indicate the meat's origin. A representative of the Meat Institute, an association of meat processors, has warned that reduced federal oversight could lead to uninspected meat reaching the market.

The bill's sponsor told The Federalist that the approach restores local accountability rather than eliminating oversight.

Federal rules on meat processing trace back to a 1942 Supreme Court decision that expanded the definition of interstate commerce. In practice, the rules require many producers to send livestock to large federally inspected facilities often controlled by a small number of companies.

This system has limited options for direct sales of locally raised meat. The pilot program tests a return of some authority to state and local levels. The current version of the bill is narrower than earlier proposals. It restricts sales to direct-to-consumer transactions and limits the number of participating processors.

The pilot is set to run until 2031 and would require reauthorization to continue.

The bill's sponsor described the measure as a limited test. He said it represents a step toward greater local control of food production. " — Massie (The Federalist) The sponsor added that he is not describing the bill as a full reversal of long-standing federal authority.

He expressed hope that the pilot will demonstrate viability and lead to expanded local meat markets if renewed. The Senate version is sponsored by a Kentucky Republican and a Maine independent. The House measure had bipartisan co-sponsors. The bill now awaits Senate action.