# 119-s-3994: PRIME Meat Processing in Indian Country Act

119-s-3994, PRIME Meat Processing in Indian Country Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Mullin, Markwayne [R-OK-2] (R-OK); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-04-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3994
- As of: 2026-04-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-3994
- Congress: 119
- Title: PRIME Meat Processing in Indian Country Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-03-04
- Sponsor: Rep. Mullin, Markwayne [R-OK-2] (R-OK)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Policy area: Native Americans
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-04-21

## Summary

**Creates a Tribal meat inspection program** that would let Indian Tribes and tribally owned entities carry out Federal-style inspections at majority-tribal meat facilities. It centers on self-determination contracts, safety standards, and access to interstate markets. - Tribes and tribal facilities: Would authorize Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, or tribally owned entities to hire, train, and perform inspections at "covered facilities" that are at least 51 percent tribe-owned. Contracts must meet standards no less stringent than equivalent USDA inspections, including ante mortem and postmortem checks, sanitation, humane handling, and recordkeeping. - Inspectors, labels, and liability: Tribal personnel performing covered activities would be treated as Federal employees for Federal Tort Claims Act purposes while on duty. Products that meet applicable criteria would get a Federal inspection label and may be shipped in interstate commerce but not sold in foreign commerce. Contracts require insurance with limits on certain waivers. - Oversight and rural support: The Secretary of Agriculture would keep recall, review, and audit authority and must provide technical assistance on request. Tribes operating under these contracts would be eligible for loans and grants under section 306(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act.

## Cosponsors (1)

- Sen. Smith, Tina [D-MN] (D-MN), 2026-03-04T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Tribes get rural loans and grants: benefit, medium. If enacted, this bill would let Tribes operating under the new self‑determination meat inspection contracts get loans and grants under USDA's Rural Water, Waste Disposal, and Community Facility programs. This help would only apply to Tribes that are operating under the specified contracts.
- Funds authorized for tribal inspections: benefit, low. If enacted, this bill would authorize USDA to get whatever money is necessary to run the tribal meat inspection program. Those funds would remain available until spent. Only funds Congress appropriates in advance for this section could be used. The program would still depend on future appropriation…
- Tribes run federal meat inspections: mixed, medium. If enacted, this bill would let Tribes hire, train, and use Tribal inspectors to run federally equivalent meat inspections at facilities that are at least 51% tribally owned. Inspections would be done under self‑determination contracts and must meet standards at least as strict as current federal r…

## Related bills

- 119-s-2120: Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2025
- 119-s-1241: Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025
- 119-s-2022: Tribal Tax and Investment Reform Act of 2025
- 119-s-1816: Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act of 2025
- 119-s-1261: CONNECT for Health Act of 2025
- 119-s-2771: Indian Programs Advance Appropriations Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-s-3994 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/3994)

## Related
- [119-s-2120: Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2120)
- [119-s-1241: Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1241)
- [119-s-2022: Tribal Tax and Investment Reform Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2022)
- [119-s-1816: Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1816)
- [119-s-1261: CONNECT for Health Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1261)
- [119-s-2771: Indian Programs Advance Appropriations Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2771)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3994 (as of 2026-04-21).