PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · 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.
People & committees
Rep. Alford, Mark [R-MO-4] · R–MO
Legislative record
A procedural vote is different from passage. Passage in one chamber does not establish enactment. Explore the glossary.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry.
Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.
Source last updated: Mar 13, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2025-02-27 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
The proposed A–PLUS Act would require a federal rule change allowing livestock market agencies—businesses involved in livestock sales—to hold ownership interests in, finance, or help run qualifying meatpacking businesses. Eligibility would depend on the packer’s slaughter capacity. Agencies with those business ties would have to disclose them to livestock sellers. The proposal would preserve the Secretary’s authority to adopt or enforce rules protecting producers, competition, and market integrity and preventing conflicts of interest.
This Act may be cited as the Amplifying Processing of Livestock in the United States Act or the A–PLUS Act.
market agencies may have an ownership interest in, finance, or participate in the management or operation of, a packer, so long as such packer
(A) with respect to cattle and sheep, has a cumulative slaughter capacity of less than— (i) 2,000 animals per day; or (ii) 700,000 animals per year; and (B) with respect to hogs, has a cumulative slaughter capacity of less than— (i) 10,000 animals per day; or (ii) 3,000,000 animals per year
shall disclose to sellers of livestock the existence of such ownership interest, financial relationship, or participation.
Nothing in this section shall be interpreted as a limitation on the authority of the Secretary to adopt or enforce rules or regulations under the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921 (7 U.S.C. 181 et seq.) related to the protection of producers, competition, market integrity, or the prevention of conflicts of interest.
Within one year after enactment, the Secretary would have to revise section 201.67 of title 9 of the Code of Federal Regulations, using the version in effect on January 1, 2025. This is a deadline for changing the regulation.
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall revise section 201.67 of title 9, Code of Federal Regulations, as in effect on January 1, 2025
The revised rule would permit market agencies to hold ownership interests in, finance, or help manage or operate qualifying packers. For cattle and sheep, the packer’s cumulative slaughter capacity must be below 2,000 animals per day or below 700,000 animals per year. These are capacity limits, rather than stated limits on actual slaughter.
(1) market agencies may have an ownership interest in, finance, or participate in the management or operation of, a packer, so long as such packer— (A) with respect to cattle and sheep, has a cumulative slaughter capacity of less than— (i) 2,000 animals per day; or (ii) 700,000 animals per year
For hogs, the packer’s cumulative slaughter capacity must be below 10,000 animals per day or below 3,000,000 animals per year. The proposal joins the cattle-and-sheep condition and the hog condition with “and,” while using “or” between each daily and annual limit.
(A) with respect to cattle and sheep, has a cumulative slaughter capacity of less than— (i) 2,000 animals per day; or (ii) 700,000 animals per year; and (B) with respect to hogs, has a cumulative slaughter capacity of less than— (i) 10,000 animals per day; or (ii) 3,000,000 animals per year
The revised rule would require market agencies with ownership, financing, management, or operating ties to a packer to tell livestock sellers that those ties exist.
(2) market agencies that have an ownership interest in, finance, or participate in the management or operation of, a packer shall disclose to sellers of livestock the existence of such ownership interest, financial relationship, or participation.
The proposal would preserve the Secretary’s authority under the Packers and Stockyards Act to adopt or enforce rules protecting producers, competition, and market integrity, or preventing conflicts of interest.
(b) Savings clause Nothing in this section shall be interpreted as a limitation on the authority of the Secretary to adopt or enforce rules or regulations under the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921 (7 U.S.C. 181 et seq.) related to the protection of producers, competition, market integrity, or the prevention of conflicts of interest.
The supplied action snapshot, updated March 13, 2026, records introduction and referral to the House Committee on Agriculture on February 27, 2025, followed by referral to the Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry on March 28, 2025.
Source snapshot updated 2026-03-13T08:05:35Z. 2025-03-28: Referred to the Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry. 2025-02-27: Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture. 2025-02-27: Introduced in House
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2025-02-27. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
None identified in the reviewed text
No unrelated provision or policy change attached to appropriations was identified after reviewing the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No congressionally directed spending for particular recipients or places was identified after reviewing the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials. Member requests, earmark disclosures, committee reports, and conference materials were not supplied.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
Findings to examine
The cited capacity-limited regulatory permission warrants scrutiny as a targeted benefit. This classification does not imply improper purpose.
Market agencies would receive express permission to hold ownership interests in, finance, or participate in managing or operating packers below the specified cumulative slaughter-capacity limits: below 2,000 cattle and sheep per day or 700,000 per year, and below 10,000 hogs per day or 3,000,000 per year. This capacity-limited permission is central to the bill’s policy. Any benefit to qualifying packers would be indirect through those permitted relationships; the express permission is granted to market agencies. Because the existing regulation is not supplied, the full extent of the change from existing restrictions cannot be established.
(1) market agencies may have an ownership interest in, finance, or participate in the management or operation of, a packer, so long as such packer— (A) with respect to cattle and sheep, has a cumulative slaughter capacity of less than— (i) 2,000 animals per day; or (ii) 700,000 animals per year; and (B) with respect to hogs, has a cumulative slaughter capacity of less than— (i) 10,000 animals per day; or (ii) 3,000,000 animals per year
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Mar 13, 2026. How PlainBill uses AI