AGRICULTURE/MEAT: Prohibits inspection of certain meat products

HLS 26RS-1288 ORIGINAL
2026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 753
BY REPRESENTATIVES COATES AND OWEN
AGRICULTURE/MEAT: Prohibits inspection of certain meat products
1 AN ACT
2 To enact R.S. 3:4216.1, relative to inspection requirements of certain meat products; to
3 exempt producer-raised livestock products sold directly to consumers from state
4 meat inspection; to provide for limited intrastate direct sales; to require processing
5 at licensed slaughter facilities; to provide for labeling and written disclosures; to
6 provide for definitions; to provide for recordkeeping; to provide sanitation and
7 regulatory compliance; and to provide for related matters.
8 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
9 Section 1. R.S. 3:4216.1 is hereby enacted to read as follows:
10 §4216.1. Louisiana Food Transparency, Protein Access, and Consumer Choice Act
11 A. The legislature of Louisiana finds that direct intrastate sales of
12 producer-raised livestock products support Louisiana agriculture and local food
13 systems. Expanding transparency in the food supply and increasing consumer access
14 to locally produced foods, including locally raised livestock protein, promotes food
15 security, strengthens local food systems, and increases equitable access to healthy,
16 nutrient-dense food options consistent with federal nutrition policy goals.
17 B. For purposes of this Section, the following terms shall have the meanings
18 stated below:
19 (1) "Informed end consumer" means an individual who purchases livestock
20 products for personal or household consumption, not for resale, and who has been
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HLS 26RS-1288 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 753
1 provided written disclosure that the product is not subject to state or federal meat
2 inspection laws.
3 (2) "Intrastate" means commerce within the state.
4 (3) "Livestock" means cattle, bison, domesticated bovine species including
5 water buffalo, sheep, goats, and domestic rabbits raised for human consumption
6 within the state of Louisiana.
7 (4) "Livestock products" means meat derived from livestock raised by a
8 producer and slaughtered and processed at a licensed custom slaughter facility
9 operating in accordance with R.S. 3:4215.
10 (5) "Producer" means a natural person who raises livestock within Louisiana.
11 C. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Chapter, livestock products
12 derived from livestock raised by the producer shall not be subject to state meat
13 inspection requirements, provided that the following conditions are met:
14 (1) The livestock was raised by the producer.
15 (2) Slaughter and processing occur exclusively at a licensed custom
16 slaughter facility operating in compliance with R.S. 3:4215.
17 (3) The livestock products are sold only directly to an informed end
18 consumer.
19 (4) The livestock products are not resold.
20 (5) The transaction occurs entirely within the state of Louisiana.
21 (6) The livestock products are not introduced into interstate commerce.
22 D. All slaughter and processing conducted pursuant to this Section shall
23 comply with the sanitation requirements applicable to custom slaughter under R.S.
24 3:4215 and any rules adopted by the commissioner governing custom slaughter
25 facilities.
26 E.(1) All livestock products sold pursuant to this Section shall bear a label
27 stating the following: "THIS PRODUCT WAS PRODUCED AND PROCESSED
28 WITHOUT STATE OR FEDERAL INSPECTION. FOR INTRASTATE USE
29 ONLY. NOT FOR RESALE. FOR PERSONAL CONSUMPTION ONLY."
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HLS 26RS-1288 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 753
1 (2) The producer shall provide written disclosure to the informed end
2 consumer prior to completion of the transaction.
3 F. Livestock products sold under this Section shall not be:
4 (1) Sold to retail grocery establishments for resale.
5 (2) Sold to restaurants or food service establishments for resale.
6 (3) Distributed through wholesale channels.
7 (4) Represented as inspected meat.
8 (5) Transported or shipped outside the state of Louisiana.
9 G.(1) A producer selling livestock products pursuant to this Section shall
10 maintain records for a minimum of one year from the date of sale. Records shall be
11 made available to the commissioner upon reasonable request for purposes of
12 enforcing sanitation, adulteration, or misbranding laws.
13 (2) The records required by this Subsection shall include the species of
14 livestock, the date of slaughter, the name and location of the licensed custom
15 slaughter facility, the date of sale, and the name of the informed end consumer.
16 H. Nothing in this Section shall be construed to amend, modify, supersede,
17 repeal, or otherwise affect any other provision of law, except as expressly provided
18 herein.
19 I. Nothing in this Section shall prohibit a producer from utilizing state or
20 federal inspection programs, authorize interstate sale of uninspected meat, limit
21 federal authority under the Federal Meat Inspection Act, and exempt any person
22 from the prohibitions against adulteration or misbranding.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 753 Original 2026 Regular Session Coates
Abstract: Exempts producer-raised livestock products sold directly to consumers in
Louisiana from state meat inspection, subject to labeling, processing, and intrastate
sale requirements.
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HLS 26RS-1288 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 753
Proposed law recognizes that direct intrastate sales of producer-raised livestock products
support La. and local food systems and that increasing transparency and access to locally
produced foods promotes food security, strengthens local food systems, and expands
equitable access to healthy foods consistent with federal nutrition goals.
Proposed law defines the following terms as follows:
(1) "Informed end consumer" means an individual who purchases livestock products for
personal or household consumption, not for resale, and who has been provided
written disclosure that the product is not subject to state or federal meat inspection
laws.
(2) "Intrastate" means commerce within the state.
(3) "Livestock" means cattle, bison, domesticated bovine species including water
buffalo, sheep, goats, and domestic rabbits raised for human consumption within La.
(4) "Livestock products" means meat derived from livestock raised by a producer and
slaughtered and processed at a licensed custom slaughter facility operating in
accordance with present law (R.S. 3:4215).
(5) "Producer" means a natural person who raises livestock within La.
Proposed law exempts livestock products derived from producer-raised livestock from state
meat inspection requirements, provided that the livestock is raised by the producer,
slaughtered and processed at a licensed custom slaughter facility operating in compliance
with present law (R.S. 3:4215), sold only directly to an informed end consumer, not resold,
transacted entirely within La., and not introduced into interstate commerce.
Proposed law requires all slaughter and processing conducted under proposed law to comply
with the sanitation requirements for custom slaughter set forth in present law (R.S. 3:4215)
and any rules adopted by the commissioner governing custom slaughter facilities.
Proposed law requires all livestock products sold under proposed law to bear the following
label: "THIS PRODUCT WAS PRODUCED AND PROCESSED WITHOUT STATE OR
FEDERAL INSPECTION. FOR INTRASTATE SALE ONLY. NOT FOR RESALE. FOR
PERSONAL CONSUMPTION ONLY." Further requires the producer to provide written
disclosure to the informed end consumer before completing a transaction.
Proposed law prohibits livestock products sold under proposed law from being sold to retail
grocery or food service establishments for resale, distributed through wholesale channels,
represented as inspected meat, or transported or shipped outside of La.
Proposed law requires a producer selling livestock products to maintain records for at least
one year and make them available to the commissioner upon reasonable request. Specifies
that the records include the species of livestock, date of slaughter, name and location of the
licensed custom slaughter facility, date of sale, and name of the informed end consumer.
Proposed law specifies that the provisions of proposed law apply only to proposed law and
not to amend, modify, supersede, repeal, or otherwise affect any other present law, except
as expressly stated.
Proposed law clarifies that proposed law does not prohibit a producer from using state or
federal inspection programs, authorize interstate sale of uninspected meat, limit federal
authority under the Federal Meat Inspection Act, or exempt any person from prohibitions
against adulteration or misbranding.
(Adds R.S. 3:4216.1)
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