# What This Bill Does

This bill stops the federal government from spending any money to create and enforce a new food safety rule about Salmonella bacteria in raw chicken and turkey. The Department of Agriculture had proposed this rule in August 2024, and this bill essentially says "don't do it" by cutting off all federal funding that would be needed to make it happen.

# What This Means in Practice

Right now, the poultry industry operates under existing food safety rules. The new Salmonella framework that this bill blocks would have set stricter standards for how much Salmonella contamination is acceptable in raw poultry products before they leave the processing plant. By prohibiting federal funds from being used to implement this rule, the bill keeps the current, less stringent standards in place. This means poultry producers won't have to meet the tougher new requirements, and the government won't be spending money to inspect and enforce those stricter standards.

# Who This Affects

Chicken and turkey producers benefit because they avoid having to upgrade their facilities or change their processes to meet new safety standards. Consumers might see this differently—the stricter Salmonella framework could have reduced the risk of food poisoning from raw poultry, so blocking it means that risk stays at current levels. The bill essentially prioritizes keeping regulatory costs down for the poultry industry over implementing what food safety advocates argue would be a meaningful health protection for people buying raw chicken and turkey at the grocery store.

To prohibit the use of Federal funds to implement Salmonella framework for raw poultry products.

Mann, Tracey

This bill prohibits using federal funds to finalize, implement, administer, or enforce the proposed determination and proposed rule on&nbsp;Salmonella in raw poultry products. The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) proposed the rule and the determination in the proposed Salmonella Framework for Raw Poultry Products that was published on August 7, 2024.The FSIS's proposed determination&nbsp;declares raw chicken carcasses, chicken parts, ground chicken, and ground turkey products that contain certain types and levels of Salmonella as adulterated, thus prohibiting these products from entering commerce.&nbsp;The FSIS's proposed&nbsp;rule&nbsp;would revise the current&nbsp;regulations on how poultry slaughter establishments monitor and document microbial contamination throughout the slaughter and dressing operation. This includes new requirements for&nbsp;microbial monitoring programs, increased sampling and testing, and additional&nbsp;recordkeeping.