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119-hr-9744119th CongressWALLET

Family Grocery and Farmer Relief Act

Sponsored By: Representative Jayapal, Pramila [D-WA-7]

Introduced

Summary

Restore competition in U.S. meatpacking. This bill would force breakups and divestitures of dominant meatpackers and block anticompetitive mergers to protect ranchers, small processors, workers, and consumers.

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  • Families: Aims to lower consumer meat prices by reducing extreme concentration that now gives the four largest firms about 85% of the beef market and 67% of pork.
  • Independent producers and processors: Gives the Federal Trade Commission power to require divestitures to independent buyers and to favor farmer cooperatives and worker-owned firms. It bars covered packers from operating multiple protein lines and caps a firm's slaughter of a feedlot's cattle at 10% per year.
  • Workers and rural communities: Promotes safer, fairer jobs and helps grow independent and regional processors to support rural economies. The Small Business Administration can provide loans, guarantees, and technical help to cooperatives and small processors to buy or expand divested plants.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

3 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 2 mixed.

Feedlot protections and packer penalties

If enacted, a beef packer could not slaughter more than 10% of any single feedlot's cattle in one year. Feedlots that sold less than 10% to a packer could sue for triple damages based on the per-head price gap times cattle sold, plus costs and attorney fees. The FTC would treat failure to divest as an unlawful practice, could seek injunctions in court, and must fine violators 10% of revenue during the violation. For knowing violations the FTC would seek an enhanced penalty equal to three times damages under section 5 and could require monitors, disgorgement, or restitution.

Limits on big and foreign meatpackers

If enacted, the FTC would bar covered meatpackers from owning businesses that sell more than one type of meat in the U.S. The FTC would order divestitures when beef markets meet one of three tests: HHI over 1800, CR4 over 50%, or one firm with 30% or more market share. For foreign-controlled packers the FTC would require divestiture plans within 120 days, finish a 180-day study of other foreign-controlled entities, and could submit divestiture decisions to Congress for review. After each ordered sale the FTC would reassess concentration and could use other remedies if a sale is infeasible.

SBA help for co-ops and plants

If enacted, the Small Business Administration would be able to provide loans, loan guarantees, technical help, and other assistance to farmers' cooperatives and small businesses to buy or run meatpacking plants divested under the Act. The SBA could give preference to local or regional buyers that increase competition, subject to underwriting rules. The program would be funded by appropriations of "such sums as are necessary."

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Jayapal, Pramila [D-WA-7]

WA • D

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Deluzio, Christopher R. [D-PA-17]

    PA • D

    Sponsored 7/16/2026

  • Rep. Ryan, Patrick [D-NY-18]

    NY • D

    Sponsored 7/16/2026

  • Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]

    DC • D

    Sponsored 7/16/2026

  • Rep. García, Jesús G. "Chuy" [D-IL-4]

    IL • D

    Sponsored 7/16/2026

  • Rep. Balint, Becca [D-VT-At Large]

    VT • D

    Sponsored 7/16/2026

  • Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank" [D-GA-4]

    GA • D

    Sponsored 7/16/2026

  • Rep. Randall, Emily [D-WA-6]

    WA • D

    Sponsored 7/16/2026

  • Rep. Lee, Summer L. [D-PA-12]

    PA • D

    Sponsored 7/16/2026

  • Rep. Foushee, Valerie P. [D-NC-4]

    NC • D

    Sponsored 7/16/2026

  • Rep. Watson Coleman, Bonnie [D-NJ-12]

    NJ • D

    Sponsored 7/16/2026

  • Rep. Thanedar, Shri [D-MI-13]

    MI • D

    Sponsored 7/16/2026

  • Rep. Ansari, Yassamin [D-AZ-3]

    AZ • D

    Sponsored 7/16/2026

  • Rep. Frost, Maxwell [D-FL-10]

    FL • D

    Sponsored 7/16/2026

  • Rep. Meng, Grace [D-NY-6]

    NY • D

    Sponsored 7/21/2026

  • Rep. Lee, Susie [D-NV-3]

    NV • D

    Sponsored 8/10/2026

  • Rep. Grijalva, Adelita S. [D-AZ-7]

    AZ • D

    Sponsored 8/24/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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