Source: US REP. DAVID ROUZER (NC-7TH), 9/26/16


On September 26, 2016 the House of Representatives passed my bill H.R. 5883, the Clarification of Treatment of Electronic Sales of Livestock Act of 2016.  This common sense legislation will modernize the process of buying and selling livestock online.  

        The Packers and Stockyards Act of 1921 was instituted almost one hundred years ago in order to regulate interstate and foreign commerce in livestock, livestock produce, dairy products, poultry, poultry products, and eggs.  It was passed to prevent packers from engaging in unfair and deceptive practices such as giving undue preferences to persons or localities, apportioning supply among packers to increase profits, creating a monopoly, or conspiring to aid in unlawful acts.

        In the years that have followed since the passage of the Packers and Stockyards Act of 192,1 new practices of buying and selling livestock have come about that were not anticipated by the authors of the original legislation.  For example, the online marketplace that is increasingly used by the industry today was not covered in the original bill for obvious reasons.  H.R. 5883 would modernize and clarify the Packers and Stockyards Act of 1921 so that producers buying or selling livestock online, through video or other electronic methods would be included.  The bill also updates the law to cover electronic forms of payment
     

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