U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) has joined Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) to introduce bipartisan legislation aimed at easing restrictions for small farms and ranches in the sale of locally produced meats. The Processing Revival and Intrastate Meat Exemption (PRIME) Act seeks to allow individual states to permit the intrastate distribution of custom-slaughtered meat, including beef, pork, goat, or lamb, to consumers as well as businesses such as restaurants, hotels, boarding houses, and grocery stores.
“Beef is the second-highest grossing farm commodity for Tennessee, and our local farmers and ranchers shouldn’t be held back by federal government red tape from selling their safe and fresh meat in the community,” said Senator Blackburn. “By passing the PRIME Act, we can get rid of unnecessary barriers for locally grown meat to be sold in communities, benefiting both our agriculture industry and consumers.”
Currently, federal law requires that farmers and ranchers use U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) certified facilities if they wish to sell their products commercially. Many states have a limited number of these USDA-approved processing facilities. These facilities often operate at full capacity, leading to increased costs and time for farmers who may need to transport animals across state lines even when selling locally.
The PRIME Act would grant states authority over whether meat processed at custom-slaughter facilities could be sold within their borders. Supporters argue this change would help address processing shortages while enabling small operations to expand sales opportunities.
The bill has received support from a bipartisan group of senators including Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), and Mike Lee (R-Utah). In the House of Representatives, Representatives Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) have introduced a companion measure.
