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Bill Would Help Meat Cross State Lines

It isn't easy to write a bill that increases food safety while helping livestock producers increase profits.

Congressman Zack Space, D-Ohio, plans to introduce legislation this week that would do both. His bill would allow meat processed at state facilities that meet federal inspection standards to be shipped across state lines.

Right now, not all states' standards are equal - some are aligned with the federal standards, some go beyond them, and some are seen as more lax. This can make it difficult for some states to ship meat to other states because their standards are not in line with federal standards.

The new bill would not require states to change their regulations, but it would give states the option to allow USDA to inspect its plants. If a state can prove that their inspection programs are equal with USDA standards, farmers would have expanded market access.