H.R. 1648 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the House, sent to the Committee on Agriculture, Feb 27, 2025
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryLets smaller meat packers own livestock market agencies
Right now, federal rules keep meat packers from owning or controlling livestock market agencies that sell animals. This bill would change that rule, but only for smaller packers—those under certain size limits for cattle, sheep, and hogs. It would also require these market agencies to be transparent about any ownership stakes or financial ties to packers they work with.
How it affects you
If you buy meat, this could eventually affect prices and availability, though the summary doesn't spell out exactly how. Farmers and ranchers who sell livestock through these agencies might see changes in how business works locally, and smaller meat packers would have more options for how they operate. The transparency requirement means these business relationships would be more visible to the public.
Read the official summary (Introduced in House, Feb 27, 2025)
Amplifying Processing of Livestock in the United States Act or the A–PLUS Act
This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to revise its regulations to allow certain packers to hold an ownership interest in, finance, or participate in the management or operation of a market agency selling livestock on a commission basis.
The bill applies to packers that have a cumulative slaughter capacity of (1) less than 2,000 animals per day or 700,000 animals per year with respect to cattle or sheep, and (2) less than 10,000 animals per day or 3 million animals per year with respect to hogs.
In addition, USDA must revise its regulations to include a disclosure requirement for a market agency that has an ownership interest in, finances, or participates in the management or operation of a packer. Specifically, the market agency must disclose the existence of such ownership interest, financial relationship, or participation.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionH. R. 1648
A BILL
A–PLUS Act
Sponsor: Rep. Mark Alford (R-MO-4) · Introduced Feb 27, 2025 · Agriculture and Food · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Mar 28, 2025: “Referred to the Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry.”