Farm System Reform Act of 2023
Latest action. Referred to the subcommitteeA smaller panel inside a standing committee with jurisdiction over a slice of its subject matter. Most hearings and the first markup usually happen here.Read the full definition (opens a new tab) on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry.
Farm System Reform Act of 2023
This bill places a moratorium on large concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs); expands country-of-origin labeling; and expands requirements in the livestock, poultry, and meat markets.
Specifically, under the bill, a large CAFO may not commence or expand operations and, after January 1, 2040, may not continue to operate.
Further, the Department of Agriculture must provide grants to eligible animal feed operation (AFO) owners to pay off related debt and to transition the property to alternative agriculture activities.
Integrators (certain individuals or entities that enter into arrangements with contract growers to raise and care for livestock or poultry at an AFO) that exercise substantial operational control of an AFO are liable and subject to civil action for an AFO's operation, including for dead animal and manure disposal, and for the discharge of air and water pollutants.
The bill also expands country-of-origin labeling requirements to include beef, pork, and dairy products.
Further, the bill expands requirements and prohibitions under the Packers and Stockyards Act of 1921 in order to increase competition and transparency in the livestock, poultry, and meat markets, including by
prohibiting the use of forward contract s (i.e., future livestock delivery to a packer) unless certain requirements are met, such as a firm base price and competitive bidding;
establishing that a minimum of 50%, with exceptions, of a covered packer's daily volume of livestock slaughter must be purchased through spot market sales (i.e., the negotiated purchase or sale of livestock that meets specific pricing, timing, and competitive bidding requirements) from nonaffiliated producers; and
providing USDA with additional enforcement authorities over live poultry dealers.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in House" stage on February 2, 2023. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on March 6, 2023: Referred to the Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 118th Congress (2023-24), 274 of the 16,565 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 1.7 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
Ro Khanna (D-CA) introduced it on February 2, 2023, and 39 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They are 39 Democrats.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on February 2, 2023, 1316 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 1284 days ago, on March 6, 2023.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 118th Congress has not finished by January 3, 2025 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers