FSIS carries out the federal meat and poultry inspection program and has oversight of state programs. Federal laws require USDA inspection of meat and poultry products before they can be sold and transported interstate or to foreign countries. State inspected meat and poultry can only be sold within the state.

Last fall, USDA forwarded a bill to Congress that would provide for interstate shipment of state inspected meat and poultry. In November, Sens. Thomas Daschle (D_SD) and Orrin Hatch (R_UT) introduced the legislation, the "New Markets for State_Inspected Meat Act of 1999."

"We are pleased to announce that North Dakota has developed and implemented meat products inspection requirements that are equivalent to those of USDA and is now responsible for administering its own meat products inspection program," said FSIS administrator Thomas J. Billy.

The Federal Meat Inspection Act provides that whenever the secretary of agriculture determines that any state has developed and will enforce state inspection requirements at least equal to those imposed by the federal government, the secretary will permit the state to operate its own inspection program. The secretary has determined that the state of North Dakota has developed and is in a position to enforce effectively such a state meat products inspection program in accordance with applicable provisions of the FMIA.