Bill Introduced to Expand Market Access for Meat and Poultry Producers

U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota) joined Senators Mike Rounds (R-South Dakota) and Angus King (I-Maine) and others in introducing the New Markets for State-Inspected Meat and Poultry Act of 2023, which would allow producers to sell their state-inspected meat and poultry products across state lines.

“The meat processing sector is one of the most consolidated industries in the United States today,” said Senator Cramer. “By permitting the sale of state-inspected meats across state lines, our legislation would expand market opportunities for North Dakota ranchers, better position smaller processors to compete against larger competition, and give consumers more choice at the grocery store.”

This bill is to amend the Federal Meat Inspection Act and the Poultry Products Inspection Act to allow processors, butchers, or other retailers to sell retail quantities (300 lbs. of beef, 100 lbs. of pork, 27.5 lbs. of lamb) of MPI State Inspected Meat online or to consumers across state lines.

Full List of Supporting Senators

• Kevin Cramer - North Dakota

• Mike Rounds - South Dakota

• Angus King - Maine

• Steve Daines - Montana

• John Barrasso - Wyoming

• Chuck Grassley - Iowa

• Jon Tester - Montana

• Tina Smith - Minnesota

• Cynthia Lummis - Wyoming

• John Thune - South Dakota

• John Hoeven - North Dakota

• Roger Marshall - Kansas

• Peter Welch - Vermont

• Joe Manchin - West Virginia

• Shelley Moore - West Virigina