U.S. Reps. Dusty Johnson (R-SD-At Large) and Henry Cuellar (D-TX-28) recently introduced the Direct Interstate Retail Exemption for Certain Transactions (DIRECT) Act of 2021.
This legislation will allow state-inspected meat to be sold across state lines through e-commerce, allowing small producers and processors more options to market to consumers directly. The act maintains traceability of sales, easily accessed in the event of a recall. It will enable states operating under the Cooperative Interstate Shipping system to ship and label as they are currently.
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) commended the introduction of the legislation. “The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted an urgent need for our industry to expand opportunities for state-inspected meatpackers. NCBA acted quickly last year, advocating to allow more beef to be safely sold online across state lines. The DIRECT Act will allow cattle producers and smaller beef processors to more easily evolve to meet the growing demand for e-commerce sales,” said NCBA Policy Division Chair and South Dakota rancher Todd Wilkinson.
