H.R. 4673: Save Our Bacon Act

This bill, titled the "Save Our Bacon Act," aims to facilitate the free movement of livestock-derived products across state lines in the United States. Here are the key points of the bill:

Purpose

The main objectives of this bill are to:

• Protect the ability to sell and distribute products derived from certain livestock across state boundaries.
• Encourage the establishment of a national market for these products.
• Prevent the imposition of varying state laws that could restrict producers' access to markets.
• Ensure adherence to international trade agreements related to livestock products.

Rights of Producers

The bill establishes that producers of "covered livestock" have a federal right to:

• Raise and market their livestock in interstate commerce.
• Prevent any state or local government from enforcing additional production standards on livestock not raised within that jurisdiction.

Interstate Commerce Protection

Producers have the right to sell their livestock and livestock products without state-imposed restrictions that differ from the production standards of the state where the livestock was raised. Specifically, this means:

• States cannot impose rules regarding the production or sale of livestock products that originate from another state, as long as those products comply with the home state's standards.

Definitions

The bill defines "covered livestock" as any domestic animal that is:

• Raised for human consumption through slaughter or
• Used to produce milk and milk products for human consumption.

It explicitly excludes animals raised primarily for egg production.

The term "production" is defined as the raising and breeding of these covered livestock, but does not include activities such as their movement, harvesting, or further processing.

Conclusion

The overall aim of the bill is to ensure consistency and fairness in the livestock industry by preventing states from creating regulations that could hinder interstate sales of livestock and livestock products.

Relevant Companies

• TSN - Tyson Foods, Inc.: As a major producer and marketer of chicken, beef, and pork, Tyson Foods could benefit from the reduced regulatory burden of varying state laws under this act.
• HLF - Herbalife Nutrition Ltd.: Depending on how livestock-derived products are incorporated into their nutritional products, they may experience an impact from more uniform regulations.
• ADM - Archer-Daniels-Midland Company: This company deals with agricultural products and could see implications for its livestock feed business if interstate trade laws change.