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LOCAL Foods Act of 2025

HR 5341 · In committee · last action December 2, 2025

<p><strong>Livestock Owned by Communities to Advance Local Foods Act of 2025 or the LOCAL Foods Act of 2025</strong></p><p>This bill provides statutory authority for expanding the personal use exemption&nbsp;from inspection requirements for&nbsp;livestock that are slaughtered and prepared by the owner or at custom animal slaughter facilities for meat products intended for personal consumption.</p><p>Under current law, the personal use exemption from certain Food Safety and Inspection Service meat inspection requirements&nbsp;applies to a person who raises an animal and slaughters the animal exclusively for personal, household, guest, or employee uses.</p><p>The bill applies the exemption&nbsp;to any person who meets these requirements and is the owner of an animal, in whole or in part. This allows for an animal to have multiple owners (e.g., a community or a group of people buying shares in livestock).</p><p>Further, the owner may designate an agent to assist in the slaughter, preparation, or transportation of the carcasses (or parts thereof)&nbsp;or meat and meat food products. If the owner designates an agent, the owner must maintain custody and specific identification of the carcasses or meat.</p>

Sponsor

Eugene Vindman (D-VA)

Associated votes

No votes recorded against this bill yet — vote coverage is a work in progress.

Official summary

<p><strong>Livestock Owned by Communities to Advance Local Foods Act of 2025 or the LOCAL Foods Act of 2025</strong></p><p>This bill provides statutory authority for expanding the personal use exemption&nbsp;from inspection requirements for&nbsp;livestock that are slaughtered and prepared by the owner or at custom animal slaughter facilities for meat products intended for personal consumption.</p><p>Under current law, the personal use exemption from certain Food Safety and Inspection Service meat inspection requirements&nbsp;applies to a person who raises an animal and slaughters the animal exclusively for personal, household, guest, or employee uses.</p><p>The bill applies the exemption&nbsp;to any person who meets these requirements and is the owner of an animal, in whole or in part. This allows for an animal to have multiple owners (e.g., a community or a group of people buying shares in livestock).</p><p>Further, the owner may designate an agent to assist in the slaughter, preparation, or transportation of the carcasses (or parts thereof)&nbsp;or meat and meat food products. If the owner designates an agent, the owner must maintain custody and specific identification of the carcasses or meat.</p>