{
  "id": "RS22819",
  "type": "CRS Report",
  "typeId": "REPORTS",
  "number": "RS22819",
  "active": false,
  "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
  "versions": [
    {
      "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
      "id": 346790,
      "date": "2009-03-24",
      "retrieved": "2016-04-07T02:37:56.706387",
      "title": "Nonambulatory Livestock and the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act",
      "summary": "Revelations in early 2008 that cattle were mistreated at a California slaughter plant raised questions about enforcement of the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act. Evidence emerged that the plant had permitted nonambulatory (\u201cdowner\u201d) cattle to be slaughtered for human food, also potentially jeopardizing food safety. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the largest meat recall ever, alerted school food authorities to destroy any unconsumed products from the plant, and launched an investigation. Since then, animal welfare activists have alleged additional cases of mistreatment at livestock markets. The 110th Congress responded with hearings and proposals to alter current policy, but no statutory changes were enacted.\nIn the 111th Congress, the Senate-passed version of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (H.R. 1) included a provision to permanently prohibit the use of federal funds for inspecting any nonambulatory disabled cattle for use as human food, regardless of the reason or time the animal became nonambulatory. (Uninspected cattle cannot enter the food supply.) However, the provision was removed by House-Senate conferees prior to final enactment (as (P.L. 111-5); the House version lacked the provision. Additional bills are possible in the 111th Congress.\nMeanwhile, USDA published a final rule in the March 18, 2009, Federal Register that now specifically requires cattle slaughter establishments to notify FSIS inspectors when cattle become nonambulatory disabled even if they have already passed ante-mortem inspection; all such cattle must be condemned (diverted from the human food supply) and properly disposed of. USDA already was condemning them if they were nonambulatory at the time of ante-mortem inspection, as a safeguard against the introduction into the human food supply of the agent that causes bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, or \u201cmad cow disease\u201d).",
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORTS",
      "active": false,
      "formats": [
        {
          "format": "HTML",
          "encoding": "utf-8",
          "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/RS22819",
          "sha1": "f8aa3baab5eff3252a2312f595ca3a27c80751e6",
          "filename": "files/20090324_RS22819_f8aa3baab5eff3252a2312f595ca3a27c80751e6.html",
          "images": null
        },
        {
          "format": "PDF",
          "encoding": null,
          "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/RS22819",
          "sha1": "9bf1016de35a60540c8612e079f5165f313b5ed9",
          "filename": "files/20090324_RS22819_9bf1016de35a60540c8612e079f5165f313b5ed9.pdf",
          "images": null
        }
      ],
      "topics": []
    },
    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc811931/",
      "id": "RS22819_2008Aug29",
      "date": "2008-08-29",
      "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26",
      "title": "Nonambulatory Livestock and the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act",
      "summary": null,
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORT",
      "active": false,
      "formats": [
        {
          "format": "PDF",
          "filename": "files/20080829_RS22819_1c22a63bb1948e9eae2a03dd42755d63077cc911.pdf"
        },
        {
          "format": "HTML",
          "filename": "files/20080829_RS22819_1c22a63bb1948e9eae2a03dd42755d63077cc911.html"
        }
      ],
      "topics": []
    },
    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc820110/",
      "id": "RS22819_2008Feb26",
      "date": "2008-02-26",
      "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26",
      "title": "USDA Meat Inspection and the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act",
      "summary": null,
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORT",
      "active": false,
      "formats": [
        {
          "format": "PDF",
          "filename": "files/20080226_RS22819_10f70bd09ef48cc7cf1a202ec2ba30868728a109.pdf"
        },
        {
          "format": "HTML",
          "filename": "files/20080226_RS22819_10f70bd09ef48cc7cf1a202ec2ba30868728a109.html"
        }
      ],
      "topics": []
    }
  ],
  "topics": []
}