This bill would allow meat and poultry establishments to operate at inspection rates higher than the maximum currently allowed by law. It requires the USDA to approve or deny any requests for these alternate inspection rates within 90 days, and if the USDA fails to respond, the request is automatically approved. The bill also allows establishments currently using alternate rates to continue doing so.
Latest Action
Referred to the Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry.
AI Summary
Plain-English explanation of this bill
This bill would allow meat and poultry establishments to operate at inspection rates higher than the maximum currently allowed by law. It requires the USDA to approve or deny any requests for these alternate inspection rates within 90 days, and if the USDA fails to respond, the request is automatically approved. The bill also allows establishments currently using alternate rates to continue doing so.
Last updated: 12/30/2025
Official Summary
Congressional Research Service summary
<p>This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to publish food safety criteria, and review requests, for meat and poultry establishments to operate at alternate inspection rates. (Under the bill, <em>alternate inspection rates</em> are any rates in excess of the maximum rates permissible under regulations implementing the post-mortem inspection requirements of the Federal Meat Inspection Act and the Poultry Products Inspection Act.)</p><p>The bill requires USDA to approve or deny a request to operate at alternate inspection rates within 90 days of submission. If USDA fails to respond within 90 days, the establishment’s request shall be deemed approved by USDA.</p><p>Once USDA approves a request, an establishment may continue to operate pursuant to the terms of the request (i.e., the approval does not expire).</p><p>The bill establishes written notice requirements and a timeline for USDA to revoke an establishment's authority to operate at alternate inspection rates. As part of the revocation timeline, USDA must consult with the establishment to minimize the negative impacts of adjusting the inspection rates.</p><p>Further, USDA must authorize establishments currently operating under alternate inspection rates (e.g., under a USDA pilot program) to continue operating at such rates (1) so long as the establishment maintains effective process control, or (2) until USDA approves or denies a submitted request to operate at alternate inspection rates.</p><!--tinycomments|2.1|data:application/json;base64,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-->
Key Points
Main provisions of the bill
Allows meat and poultry establishments to operate at inspection rates above the current legal maximum
Requires the USDA to approve or deny requests for alternate inspection rates within 90 days, or the request is automatically approved
Grandfathers in establishments already using alternate inspection rates under USDA pilot programs
How This Impacts Americans
Potential effects on citizens and communities
This bill would primarily affect meat and poultry producers, by giving them more flexibility to operate at higher inspection rates. This could potentially increase production and efficiency for these industries, though impacts on food safety and worker conditions would need to be monitored closely.
Policy Areas
Primary Policy Area
Agriculture and Food
Related Subjects
Food industry and services
Food supply, safety, and labeling
Meat
Scope & Jurisdiction
Jurisdiction Level
federal
Congressional Session
119th Congress
Citation Reference
5106, 119th Congress (2025). "Restore Trust in Congress Act". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/118-hr-5106
