American Protein Processing Modernization Act

This bill would require the Secretary of Agriculture, within 90 days, to publish food safety criteria for reviewing requests from federally inspected meat and poultry plants to operate at inspection rates above current maximum limits (often called line speeds). The Secretary would have 90 days to approve or deny each request in writing; a request not answered in that time would be treated as approved. Plants already operating at higher rates could continue while they maintain process control or until their request is decided. Plants that fail the criteria would get written notice and 180 days to fix problems before their authority could be revoked. The bill states it does not make the Department of Agriculture responsible for worker safety or environmental effects related to the higher rates.

Full text and official record on Congress.gov

Sponsors

• Brad Finstad Republican sponsor
• 7 cosponsors