H.R. 1648House119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

A–PLUS Act

AI-Generated Summary

Updated November 24, 2025 at 2:21 AM UTC

The A‑PLUS Act directs the USDA to change a regulation so that livestock auction owners can have ownership or financial stakes in small meatpacking businesses, provided the packers stay below specific daily and annual slaughter limits. It also requires those auction owners to disclose any such interests to livestock sellers. The bill clarifies this new allowance while preserving the agency’s existing authority to enforce producer protections and competition rules.

Key Provisions

The USDA Secretary must revise the regulation (21 CFR §201.67) to allow livestock market agencies (auction owners) to own, finance, or help manage a meatpacking operation, but only if the packer is small—cattle or sheep packers must process fewer than 2,000 animals per day (or 700,000 per year) and hog packers fewer than 10,000 per day (or 3 million per year).
Any market agency that has such an ownership or financial interest must tell livestock sellers about the relationship.
The amendment does not restrict the Secretary’s existing powers under the Packers and Stockyards Act to protect producers, ensure competition, or prevent conflicts of interest.

Legislative Activity

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2 earlier actions

HouseCommittee Latest Action

Referred to the Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry.

Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Subcommittee

March 28, 2025

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

February 27, 2025

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.

Agriculture Committee

February 27, 2025

HouseCommittee

Referred to the Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry.

Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Subcommittee

March 28, 2025

Bill Text

Latest available legislative text

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Introduced in HouseIssued February 27, 2025

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 1648

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

February 27, 2025

Mr. Alford (for himself, Mr. Panetta, Mr. Johnson of South Dakota, Mr. Rouzer, Mr. Graves, Ms. Tokuda, Mr. Vasquez, Mr. Smith of Nebraska, Mr. Davis of North Carolina, Mr. Feenstra, Mr. Finstad, and Mr. Moore of Alabama) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture

A BILL

To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to amend certain regulations to clarify that livestock auction owners may have an interest in small meatpacking businesses, and for other purposes.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Amplifying Processing of Livestock in the United States Act or the A–PLUS Act.

Amplifying processing of livestock in the United States (a- plus)

(a)

In general

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, to specify that—

(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; and

(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.

(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.