HR0979 93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0979 LRB093 22296 RAS 51361 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Approximately 40% of the meat and poultry operations in the United States operate under state inspection in 28 of the 50 states, including a large number of operations in the State of Illinois, which operates a State inspection program; and

WHEREAS, The Federal Meat Inspection Act prohibits state-inspected plants from selling their products in other states, even though they follow the same inspection regulations as USDA plants; and

WHEREAS, There have been attempts made to change the law to allow the shipping of state-inspected meat and poultry products in interstate commerce for the past 30 years; and

WHEREAS, The changing of the law is tied to the survival and success of the small meat and poultry processing industry in the United States, and while there has been more of a drop in the number of small and very small plants in the United States that operate under USDA inspection (mostly in states where that is the only kind of inspection available), there has been a greater stability in the number of small and very small plants that operate under state inspection; and

WHEREAS, A broad array of stakeholders inside and outside of the meat industry across the United States now support shipment of products across state lines by plants that are inspected by "equal to" state meat inspection programs; this group of stakeholders includes large, medium, and small meat establishments, groups, and governments, including the USDA and members of Congress; and

WHEREAS, The issue has become even more critical today as a result of the continuing consolidation of the meat industry, including the closing and disappearance of small and very small meat establishments and their acquisition by larger companies, including those small and very small meat establishments in the State of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, One way to fight this consolidation, which Congress has expressed concern about, is to strengthen small businesses by allowing them to ship across state lines, thereby increasing their markets, strengthening their economic power, and helping the rural regions of Illinois and other states where meat plants operate under state inspection; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we endorse the changing of the Federal Meat Inspection Act to allow state-inspected meat and poultry plants to ship their products across state lines in this State and in other states where "equal to" state inspection programs operate; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge Congress to take action as soon as possible to change the law to allow interstate shipment of state-inspected meat products; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge the Congressional delegation of Illinois to play a leadership role in this action, including the Speaker of the House and members of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, House Committee on Agriculture, Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, and House Committee on Small Business; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be delivered to the President pro tempore of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, each member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, House Committee on Agriculture, Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, and House Committee on Small Business, and each member of the Illinois Congressional delegation.