WeVote
Log In

Bill

YA

Bill

HR 9744

Family Grocery and Farmer Relief Act

119th Congress Introduced by Yassamin Ansari and 14 co-sponsors

The bill aims to restore competition in meatpacking by reducing market concentration to lower prices and widen consumer choices.

Introduced in House
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HR 9744

Overview

HR 9744, introduced in the 119th Congress, seeks to restore competition in the U.S. meatpacking industry by reducing excessive market concentration and market power. The bill aims to lower prices for American consumers and address perceived anticompetitive practices within the sector. It has a broad jurisdictional scope, with referrals to the Judiciary Committee and to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Small Business, and Agriculture for provisions within their respective domains. A number of House members have co-sponsored the measure.

Main Purpose and Intent

  • Reduce concentration and market power in the meatpacking industry.
  • Promote competition to lower prices and increase options for consumers.
  • Address practices deemed anticompetitive that negatively affect producers, processors, and possibly retailers and consumers.

Key Provisions and Changes (as indicated by the bill’s title and purpose)

  • Measures to limit or curb market concentration among meatpacking firms.
  • Provisions designed to enhance competitive dynamics within meat processing, distribution, and related markets.
  • Potential structural or regulatory changes intended to reduce barriers to entry for competitors and improve market transparency.
  • Tools may include regulatory oversight, antitrust-like enforcement mechanisms, and policies aimed at preventing monopolistic or oligopolistic practices.

Note: The specific legislative text is not provided here, so the summary focuses on the bill’s stated objective to restore competition and reduce consumer meat prices, and the general type of reforms such measures typically entail (competition-enhancing measures, oversight, and enforcement provisions).

Who/What Would Be Affected

  • Meatpacking companies and processors that operate in the U.S. market and are part of the meat supply chain.
  • Potentially other stakeholders in the livestock and meat markets, including producers, processors, distributors, retailers, and consumers.
  • Federal agencies with jurisdiction over antitrust, competition, agriculture, and consumer protection (as reflected by referrals to the Judiciary, Energy and Commerce, Small Business, and Agriculture committees).

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

  • Introduced in the House and immediately referred to multiple committees with jurisdiction: Judiciary, and in addition to Energy and Commerce, Small Business, and Agriculture.
  • Referral indicates that provisions within each committee’s jurisdiction will be considered for potential incorporation into a single, comprehensive bill or as multiple related measures.
  • The timing of consideration and any markups, hearings, or amendments will depend on the committees’ agendas and House leadership decisions.

Potential Implications

  • If enacted, the bill could lead to changes in how meatpacking markets are regulated and enforced, potentially increasing competition and reducing concentration.
  • Consumers could see changes in meat prices and product availability, depending on market responses and implementation details.
  • Industry stakeholders may need to adjust business practices to align with new competition standards and enforcement expectations.

Co-Sponsors

  • Notable co-sponsors include Chris Deluzio, Pat Ryan, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Chuy García, Becca Balint, Hank Johnson, Emily Randall, Summer Lee, Valerie Foushee, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Shri Thanedar, Yassamin Ansari, Maxwell Frost, and Pramila Jayapal.

If you’d like, I can tailor this summary to focus on specific committees’ potential provisions once the bill text becomes available, or provide a comparison with other antitrust or competition-focused agriculture bills.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

Sign in to ask a question.