,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #gdij  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,july #f1 #bjbj,mr4  
,peterson 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,lucas1    
,mr4 ,fortenberry1 ,ms4 ,pingree1 ,mr4  
,thompson of ,pennsylvania1 ,mr4 ,bishop
 of ,georgia1 ,mr4 ,rouzer1 ,mr4 ,costa1
 ,mr4 ,aderholt1 and ,ms4 ,craig7       
introduced the following bill2 which was
 referred to the ,committee on          
,agriculture  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend the  
,agricultural ,marketing ,act of #aidf  
to direct the ,secretary of ,agriculture
 to make grants for improvements to meat
 and poultry facilities to allow for    
interstate shipment1 and for other      
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,requiring          
,assistance to ,meat ,processors for    
,upgrading ,plants ,act or the          
,,ramp-,,up ,act4  #b4 ,grants for      
improvements to meat and poultry        
facilities to allow for interstate      
shipment ,the ,agricultural ,marketing  
,act of #aidf 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #afba et    

seq47 is amended by adding at the end   
the following3  ,h ,grants for          
improvements to meat and poultry        
facilities to allow for interstate      
shipment  #bih4 ,grants for improvements
 to meat and poultry facilities to allow
 for interstate shipment  7a7 ,in       
general ,the ,secretary1 acting through 
the ,administrator of the ,agricultural 
,marketing ,service and in consultation 
with the ,administrator of the ,food    
,safety ,inspection ,service1 shall make
 grants to meat and poultry processing  
facilities in operation as of the date  
on which an application for such a grant
 is made to assist such facilities with 
respect to costs incurred in making     
improvements to such facilities and     
carrying out other planning activities  
necessary to be subject to inspection   
under the ,federal ,meat ,inspection    
,act 7#ba ,u4,s4,c4 #fja et seq471 or   
the ,poultry ,products ,inspection ,act 
7#ba ,u4,s4,c4 #dea et seq474  7b7      
,grant amount ,the amount of a grant    

under this section shall not exceed     
#ajj1jjj4  7c7 ,condition ,as a         
condition on receipt of a grant under   
this section1 a grant recipient shall   
agree that if the recipient is not      
subject to inspection or making a good  
faith effort to be subject to inspection
 under the ,federal ,meat ,inspection   
,act 7#ba ,u4,s4,c4 #fja et seq47 or the
 ,poultry ,products ,inspection ,act    
7#ba ,u4,s4,c4 #dea et seq47 within #cf 
months of receiving such grant1 the     
grant recipient shall make a payment 7or
 payments7 to the ,secretary in an      
amount equal to the amount of the grant4
  7d7 ,matching funds  7#a7 ,in general 
,the ,secretary shall require a grant   
recipient to provide matching           
non,federal funds in an amount equal to 
the amount of a grant4  7#b7 ,exception 
,the ,secretary shall not require any   
grant recipient to provide matching     
funds with respect to a grant awarded in
 fiscal years #bjbj or #bjba4  7e7      
,reports  7#a7 ,reports on grants made  

,beginning not later than one year after
 the date on which the first grant is   
awarded under this section1 and annually
 thereafter1 the ,secretary shall submit
 to the ,committee on ,agriculture and  
the ,committee on ,appropriations of the
 ,house of ,representatives and the     
,committee on ,agriculture1 ,nutrition1 
and ,forestry and the ,committee on     
,appropriations of the ,senate a report 
on grants made under this section and   
any facilities that were upgraded using 
such funds during the year covered by   
the report4  7#b7 ,report on the        
,cooperative ,interstate ,shipment      
,program ,beginning not later than one  
year after the date of the enactment of 
this section1 the ,secretary shall      
submit to the ,committee on ,agriculture
 and the ,committee on ,appropriations  
of the ,house of ,representatives and   
the ,committee on ,agriculture1         
,nutrition1 and ,forestry and the       
,committee on ,appropriations of the    
,senate a report of any recommendations1

 developed in consultation with ,states1
 for possible improvements to the       
cooperative interstate shipment program 
under section #eja of the ,federal ,meat
 ,inspection ,act 7#ba ,u4,s4,c4 #fhc7  
or section #ca of the ,poultry ,products
 ,inspection ,act 7#ba ,u4,s4,c4 #dgb74 
7f7 ,funding  7#a7 ,mandatory funding   
,of the funds of the ,commodity ,credit 
,corporation1 the ,secretary shall use  
#hj1jjj1jjj for the period of fiscal    
years #bjbj through #bjbc1 to remain    
available until expended4  7#b7         
,authorization of appropriations ,there 
are authorized to be appropriated to    
carry out this section #bj1jjj1jjj for  
each of fiscal years #bjba through      
#bjbc4  4