,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #ghb  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,february #bg1      
#bjbe,mr4 ,lujn 7for himself and ,ms4   
,ernst7 introduced the following bill2  
which was read twice and referred to the
 ,committee on ,agriculture1 ,nutrition1
 and ,forestry  ,a ,,bill  ,to direct   
the ,secretary of ,agriculture to amend 
regulations to allow for certain packers
 to have an interest in market agencies1
 and for other purposes4  #a4 ,short    
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,expanding ,local ,meat ,processing ,act
 of #bjbe4  #b4 ,allowed interest of    
certain packers in market agencies  7a7 
,in general ,not later than #a year     
after the date of enactment of this     
,act1 the ,secretary of ,agriculture    
shall revise section #bja4fg of title   
#i1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations 7as  
in effect on the date of enactment of   
this ,act71 to exempt the packers       
described in subsection 7b7 from the    
prohibition described in that section4  

7b7 ,packers described ,a packer        
referred to in subsection 7a7 is a      
packer that-- 7#a7 with respect to      
cattle or sheep1 has a cumulative       
slaughter capacity of less than-- 7,a7  
#b1jjj animals per day2 or  7,b7        
#gjj1jjj animals per year2 and  7#b7    
with respect to hogs1 has a cumulative  
slaughter capacity of less than-- 7,a7  
#aj1jjj animals per day2 or  7,b7       
#c1jjj1jjj animals per year4  7c7       
,required disclosure ,in the case of a  
market agency that has an ownership     
interest in1 finances1 or participates  
in the management or operation of a     
packer to which the market agency sells 
consigned livestock1 the market agency  
shall disclose on the account of sale   
the name of the packer and the nature of
 the relationship between the market    
agency and the packer4  7d7 ,savings    
clause ,nothing in this section limits  
the authority of the ,secretary of      
,agriculture to adopt or enforce rules  
or regulations under the ,packers and   

,stockyards ,act1 #aiba 7#g ,u4,s4,c4   
#aha et seq471 relating to the          
protection of producers1 competition1   
market integrity1 or the prevention of  
conflicts of interest4