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H.R. 3704: Downed Animal and Food Safety Protection Act

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H.R. 3704: Downed Animal and Food Safety Protection Act

112th Congress · introduced 2011-12-16 · Agriculture and Food · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2011-12-16 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. Ackerman, Gary L. [D-NY-5] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Downed Animal and Food Safety Protection Act

Plain summary

Downed Animal and Food Safety Protection Act - States that it is U.S. policy that all nonambulatory livestock in interstate and foreign commerce be immediately and humanely euthanized when such livestock become nonambulatory. Amends the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act of 1958 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to promulgate regulations providing for the humane treatment, handling, and disposition of nonambulatory livestock by specified entities, including a requirement that nonambulatory livestock be humanely euthanized. Requires an entity to: (1) humanely euthanize nonambulatory livestock (while not limiting the Secretary's ability to test nonambulatory livestock for disease, such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy), and (2) not move nonambulatory livestock unless required for a specific test for disease. Prohibits an inspector at an establishment covered by the Federal Meat Inspection Act from passing through inspection any nonambulatory livestock, carcass, or carcass parts and requires an inspector at such establishment to label such material as "inspected and condemned."

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Downed Animal and Food Safety Protection Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

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Arguments against (opponents)

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Ackerman, Gary L. [D-NY-5] · 29 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Janice D. Schakowsky (D-IL), James A. Himes (D-CT), Gwen Moore (D-WI), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (1)
Rulemaking
The process agencies use to write regulations that carry out laws passed by Congress or a legislature. Usually an agency publishes a proposed rule, takes public comments, then publishes a final rule.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong112-hr3704 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong112 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong112