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STATE OF OKLAHOMA
1st Session of the 58th Legislature (2021)
HOUSE BILL 1646 By: Humphrey
AS INTRODUCED
An Act relating to agriculture; amending Section 1,
Chapter 82, O.S.L. 2020 (2 O.S. Supp. 2020, Section
6-182.1), which relates to the Oklahoma Meat
Inspection Act; defi ning term; requiring certain
inspector present during slaughtering, processing, or
butchering of cattle or bison; requiring inspection
costs be paid by processor; allowing certain
cooperative agreements; providing inspecto r
qualifications; requiring certai n certification;
providing remote inspection requirements; requiring
certain meat labelling; modifying certain rule -making
authority; and providing an effective date .
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE O F OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1. AMENDATORY Section 1, Chapter 82, O.S.L. 2020
(2 O.S. Supp. 2020, Section 6 -182.1), is amended to read as follows:
Section 6-182.1 A. As used in this section, "intrastate
processor" means a facility that p roduces meat food products or meat
by-products from cattle or bison for wholesale or retail only within
the State of Oklahoma. The facility processes no more than ten
thousand head of cattle and bison in a calendar year. Mobile
slaughter facilities that produce meat food products or meat by-
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products from cattle or bison for wholesale or retail only within
the State of Oklahoma may be considered an intrastate processor.
B. All intrastate processors shall have a n Oklahoma Department
of Agriculture, Food, a nd Forestry inspector, a contracte d
Department certified inspector, or operating remote inspection
capabilities present during the slaughtering, processing, or
butchering of cattle or bison. All costs of inspections shall be
paid by the processor. Proces sing facilities that slaughter mor e
than ten thousand (10,000) head of cattle and bison in a calendar
year shall pay for on site inspectors of the Department.
C. Cooperative agreements may be facilitated by counties,
municipalities, extensions services, i ntrastate processors, or
livestock producers to pay the costs to retain a contract inspector
as required in subsection B of this section.
D. Persons who provide inspections of intrastate processors
remotely or on-site for the Department and persons certi fied by the
Department to provide contract inspections of intrastate processors
shall:
1. Possess the necessary qualifications required of the United
States Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service
meat inspectors;
2. Have ten (10) or more years of experience in meat processing
and possess certification by a relevant food safety course provided
by Oklahoma Career Tech or any university; or
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3. Possess a bachelor's degree in Animal Science or other
related field approved by the Departme nt, and possess the American
Meat Science Association Meat Evaluatio n Certification or complete
the 20-day Basic Livestock Slaughter Inspection Training Course of
United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection,
or other relevant trainin g certification approved by the De partment.
E. Persons who meet the qualifications provided in subsection D
of this section shall be certified by the Department to contract
with intrastate processors to conduct in person inspections.
F. Intrastate processers who utilize remote inspection s shall
provide an uninterrupted video feed of each cattle or bison from
their entry of the facility to the end of processing, except while
the carcass is placed in cold storage.
1. Multiple cameras with an accurate time stamp may be used to
film the entirety of the process.
2. Video provided of the cattle or bison before slaughter shall
be high resolution and with enough lighting to show any
discoloration, spots on the hide or any other known markers used by
remote inspectors to identify illness or injur y and show the ability
of the animal to walk under its own power without assistance.
3. Video angles shall be shown that provide close footage of
the hooves, mouth, nose, eyes, udders, hair and hide, and the whole
of the body in a manner sufficient to all ow the remote inspector to
determine a potential illness.
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4. Slaughtering of the animal shall be filmed in a manner
sufficient to determine that it is conducted in compliance with
humane slaughter regulations.
5. There shall be available to the remote in spectors video of
the processing of the carcass during suspension, exsanguination,
hide removal, splitting, and evisceration from angles that may show
multiple carcasses or processing operations, provided they are
sufficient to determine compliance with re gulations.
6. There shall be available to the remote inspectors video of
the entire butchering process of the carcass from angles that may
show multiple carcasses or butchering and processing operations,
provided they are sufficient to determine complianc e with
regulations.
G. Intrastate processors shall provide the remote inspectors
temperature readings of the carcass, processing rooms, and cold
storage as required by regulations. Temperature readings provided
shall be accompanied with an accurate time of measurement that is
synchronized with the required video feed.
H. All packaging of meat food products or meat by -products
produced by intrastate processors shall have an attached label,
prominently displayed, that stat es "Inspected by ODAFF only for sa le
in Oklahoma." Labels shall include batch numbers that are provided
to the Department.
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I. Intrastate processors may place a brand label on the package
that is agreed upon by the intrastate processor and the livestock
producer that provided the cattle o r bison.
J. Upon approval by the United States Department of
Agriculture, the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and
Forestry may establish additional standards for Oklahoma producers
that market and sell beef and bison in intrastate commerce.
B. K. The Department is authorized to promulgate rules
regarding slaughter facilities that provide for the following:
1. Establish additional standards that allow for flexibility in
beef and bison inspection, including, but not limited to,
establishing the number of inspectors at a facility and the use of
technologies to digitally inspect meat;
2. Establish additional standards for the labeling of beef and
bison products sold intrastate;
3. Establish additional standards for the number of head over
which a facility shall pay for a state inspector; and
4. Establish any other standards necessary to increase the
ability of producers to market and sell beef and bison in intrastate
commerce.
C. L. Any rules promulgated pursuant to this section shall
ensure that food safety will not be compromised in any way and will
ensure that consumers are protected.
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SECTION 2. This act shall become effective November 1, 2021.
58-1-5152 AMM 01/10/21