To amend the Poultry Products Inspection Act to cover birds of the order Ratitae that are raised for use as human food. (Introduced in the Senate)

S 1133 IS

106th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 1133

To amend the Poultry Products Inspection Act to cover birds of the order Ratitae that are raised for use as human food.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

May 25, 1999

Mr. GRAMS introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

A BILL

To amend the Poultry Products Inspection Act to cover birds of the order Ratitae that are raised for use as human food.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. EXPANSION OF DEFINITION OF POULTRY TO INCLUDE RATITES.

(a) DEFINITION OF POULTRY- Section 4(e) of the Poultry Products Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 453(e)) is amended by adding at the end the following: `The term `poultry' includes birds of the order Ratitae, such as ostriches, emus, and rheas, that are raised for distribution in commerce as human food.'.

(b) IMPLEMENTATION OF AMENDMENT- Beginning on the date that is 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, an establishment in the United States that slaughters or processes birds of the order Ratitae for distribution in commerce as human food shall be subject to the ante mortem and post mortem inspection, reinspection, and sanitation requirements of the Poultry Products Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 451 et seq.) rather than the voluntary poultry inspection program of the Department of Agriculture established under section 203 of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1622).