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Adds a new section (section 403) to Title IV of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998, inserting a provision establishing processor career training programs (competitive grants, small‑grant application process, and authorization of appropriations).
Adds a new section (210B, "Processing resilience grant program") to Subtitle A of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1621 et seq.) establishing a competitive grant program for small and very small meat and poultry processing entities with definitions, grant limits and durations, application and priority rules, allowable uses, Federal cost-share rules, administrative waivers, and an authorization of appropriations.
Amends Section 31 of the Poultry Products Inspection Act to change employee thresholds and percentage thresholds, redesignate certain subsections, update cross‑references, and add a new federal outreach and reporting requirement for fiscal years 2025–2030.
Amends Section 501 of the Federal Meat Inspection Act to change employee thresholds and percentage thresholds, update certain paragraph/subparagraph text as specified, and add a federal outreach and reporting requirement for fiscal years 2025–2030.
Amends 21 U.S.C. 454(a)(3) by replacing the Federal share limit language '50 per centum' with '65 percent' in the second sentence.
Amends 21 U.S.C. 661(a)(3) by replacing the Federal share limit language '50 per centum' with '65 percent' in the second sentence.
Inserts a new section (14A) after section 14 (21 U.S.C. 463) adding provisions titled 'Smaller and very small establishment guidance and resources' that define 'smaller establishment' and 'very small establishment' by reference to the HACCP final rule, require the Secretary to establish a searchable database of approved peer-reviewed validation studies and to publish scale-appropriate model HACCP plans within 18 months, require publication of guidance after notice-and-comment within 2 years, and prohibit publishing confidential business information (including an establishment's HACCP plan).
Inserts a new section (26) after section 25 (21 U.S.C. 625) adding provisions titled 'Smaller and very small establishment guidance and resources' that define 'smaller establishment' and 'very small establishment' by reference to the HACCP final rule, require the Secretary to establish a searchable database of approved peer-reviewed validation studies and to publish scale-appropriate model HACCP plans within 18 months, require publication of guidance after notice-and-comment within 2 years, and prohibit publishing confidential business information (including an establishment's HACCP plan).
Creates new support and funding to help small and very small meat and poultry processors comply with food-safety rules, expand capacity, and train workers. It requires USDA to provide searchable validation-study resources, model HACCP plans, and guidance for small plants; raises the federal share of State inspection costs from 50% to 65%; updates cooperative interstate shipment rules and annual outreach; and establishes two grant programs—a Processing Resilience Grant Program (grants up to $500,000; $20M/year authorized 2025–2030) and Processor Career Training Programs (grants up to $100,000 for simplified awards; $10M/year authorized 2025–2030).
Amend the Poultry Products Inspection Act by inserting a new section 14A titled “Smaller and very small establishment guidance and resources.”
Adopt the meanings of the terms “smaller establishment” and “very small establishment” from the final rule ‘Pathogen Reduction; Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) Systems’ (61 Fed. Reg. 38806 (July 25, 1996)).
Within 18 months after enactment, the Secretary must establish a free, searchable database of approved peer‑reviewed validation studies for use by smaller and very small establishments in developing HACCP plans.
Within 18 months after enactment, the Secretary must publish online scale‑appropriate model HACCP plans for smaller and very small establishments, including model plans for slaughter‑only, processing‑only, and combined slaughter-and-processing establishments.
Within 2 years after enactment, the Secretary must publish a guidance document (after notice and opportunity for public comment) explaining the requirements that smaller and very small establishments must meet to receive HACCP plan approval under the Act.
Direct effects:
Small and very small meat and poultry processors: Receive practical regulatory assistance (validation studies, model HACCP plans, step‑by‑step guidance) that can lower technical barriers to HACCP approval, plus access to competitive grants for equipment, capacity, and resilience projects. The grants (up to $500k) and technical supports aim to reduce compliance costs and help expand or maintain processing capacity.
State inspection programs and State governments: Benefit from an increased federal cost share (50% → 65%), easing state budget burdens for inspection activities and potentially enabling more inspection resources or expanded participation in cooperative programs.
USDA (FSIS and AMS): Takes on new operational duties—building and maintaining the validation‑study database, publishing model plans, conducting outreach and annual reporting, and running two new grant programs. This increases administrative workload and requires program design, rulemaking, and grant management capacity.
Workers and employers in the processing sector: May see more training and apprenticeship opportunities through the new career training program, which could improve recruitment, retention, and worker skills in processing plants.
Consumers and public health: Potentially benefit from improved food‑safety practices at small processors and increased inspection capacity; long‑term effects could be safer products and a more resilient domestic processing supply chain.
Budgetary and administrative considerations:
Risks and tradeoffs:
Expand sections to see detailed analysis
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. (text: CR S2666-2668)
Introduced April 29, 2025 by John Thune · Last progress April 29, 2025
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. (text: CR S2666-2668)
Introduced in Senate