Public Law 95-445 95th Congress An Act

PUBLIC LAW

95-445—OCT.

10, 1978

92 STAT. 1069

Public Law 95-445

95th Congress

An Act

To amend the Federal Meat

Insyeetiou

Act to require that meat

mspected

and

approved under such Act he produced only from livestock slaughtered in

accordance with humane methods, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted

the Senate and House of Representatives of the

United States of America in Congress

assembled^

That this Act may

be cited as the "Humane Methods of Slaughter Act of 1978".

SEC.

2. Section 3 of the Federal Meat Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. 603)

is amended by inserting "(a)" immediately before the first sentence

and adding at the end thereof a new subsection (b) as

follows:

"(b) For the purpose of preventing the inhumane slaughtering of

livestock, the Secretary shall cause to be made, by inspectors appointed

for that purpose, an examination and inspection of the method by

which cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses, mules, and other equines are

slaughtered and handled in connection with slaughter in the slaughter-

ing establishments inspected under this Act. The Secretary may refuse

to provide inspection to a new slaughtering establishment or may cause

inspection to be temporarily suspended at a slaughtering establish-

ment if the Secretary finds that any cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses,

mules, or other equines have been slaughtered or handled in connection

with slaughter at such establishment by any method not in accordance

with the Act of August 27, 1958 (72 Stat. 862; 7 U.S.C. 1901-1906)

until the establishment furnishes assurances satisfactory to the Secre-

tary that all slaughtering and handling in connection with slaughter

of livestock shall be in accordance with such a method.".

SEC.

3. Section 10 of the Federal Meat Inspection Act (21 U.S.C.

610) is amended by redesignating subsections (b) and (c) as subsec-

tions (c) and (d), respectively, and inserting after subsection (a) a

new subsection (b) as follows:

" (b) slaughter or handle in connection with slaughter any such

animals in any manner not in accordance with the Act of August

27,1958

(72 Stat.

862;

7 U.S.C. 1901-1906);".

SEC.

4. Section 20(a) of the Federal Meat Inspection Act (21 U.S.C.

620) is amended by inserting after the first sentence a new sentence as

follows: "No such carcasses, parts of carcasses, meat or meat food

products shall be imported into the United States unless the livestock

from which they were produced was slaughtered and handled in con-

nection with slaughter in accordance with the Act of August

27,1958

(72 Stat.

862;

7 U.S.C. 1901-1906).".

SEC.

The Act of August

27,1958

(72 Stat.

862;

7 U.S.C. 1901-1906)

is amended

by—

(a) inserting before the period at the end of section 2(b) "and

handling in connection with such slaughtering";

(b) repealing sections 3, 4(c), and 5;

hereof"

in section

4(b);

(d)

4(a);

(e)

inserting "and" after the semicolon at the end of section

and

striking out the semicolon at the end of section 4(b) and

Oct. 10, 1978

[S.

3092]

Humane

Methods of

Slaughter Act

of 1978.

21 use 601

note.

use

1902.

Repeals.

use

1903-1905.

use

1904.

inserting a period in lieu

thereof.

92 STAT. 1070

PUBLIC LAW

95-445—OCT.

10, 1978

21 use

603 note.

"Ritual

slaughter."

Effective date.

21 use

603 note.

SEC.

6. Nothing in this Act shall be construed to prohibit, abridge,

or in any way hinder the religious freedom of any person or

group.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, in order to protect

freedom

of religion, ritual slaughter and the handling or other prepa-

ration of livestock for ritual slaughter are exempted

from

the terms of

this Act. For the purposes of this section the term "ritual slaughter"

means slaughter in accordance with section 2(b) of the Act of August

27,1958

(72 Stat.

862;

7 U.S.C.

1902(b)).

SEC.

7. The provisions of this Act shall become effective one year

after the date of enactment. However, such provisions shall not apply

to a person, firm, or corporation for such additional period of time,

not to exceed eighteen months, as may be determined by the

Secretarj',

if the Secretary, upon application, finds that compliance with the pro-

visions of this Act on its effective date would cause undue hardship on

such person, firm, or corporation.

Approved October 10, 1978.

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LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

HOUSE REPORT No. 95-1336 accompanying H.R. 1464 (eomm. on Agriculture).

SENATE REPORT No. 95-1059 (eomm. on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry).

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 124 (1978):

Aug. 7, considered and passed Senate.

Sept. 19, H.R. 1464 considered and passed House; passage vacated and S. 3092,

amended, passed in lieu.

Sept. 28, Senate concurred in House amendments.