H.R. 5341: Livestock Owned by Communities to Advance Local Foods Act of 2025

This bill, titled the Livestock Owned by Communities to Advance Local Foods Act of 2025, proposes changes to the Federal Meat Inspection Act. The main focus of the bill is to amend certain inspection requirements related to livestock. Below are the key points outlining what the bill would do:

Short Title

The bill can be referenced as the LOCAL Foods Act of 2025.

Exemptions from Inspection

The bill modifies Section 23(a) of the Federal Meat Inspection Act. The changes specifically affect small-scale livestock owners. Here are the main adjustments:

• The existing provision that allows individuals to slaughter animals they have raised for personal use is expanded. It now covers anyone who owns an animal, in whole or in part, and allows them to slaughter, prepare, and transport meat products from those animals.
• These activities must be done exclusively for the use of the owner, their household members, nonpaying guests, and employees.
• If an owner designates an agent to help with processes like slaughtering or transporting the meat, the owner must maintain control over and identify the meat products. The Secretary of Agriculture will determine the standards for this identification process.

The intention behind this bill is to potentially simplify meat processing for small livestock owners, making it easier for them to supply local food sources without going through the more extensive meat inspection regulations applied to larger commercial operations.

Potential Impacts

In broad terms, the amendments could benefit community-driven food initiatives and small farms by reducing regulatory burdens, thus encouraging local food production and consumption.

Relevant Companies

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