Etienne Note: I usually don't cover politics except in New Hampshire where the concentration of liberty movement activists through the free state project is starting to override Governor-level vetoes! Nothing wrong with voting defensively! This article is being syndicated as part of a recurring column in our weekly newsletter Five Meme Friday: libertarian Intentional Community Roundup where we cover libertarian and voluntaryist intentional communities and free private cities including Prospera (Honduras), The Free State Project (New Hampshire), Liberstad (Norway), Montelibero (Montenegro), Los Propietarios, (Argentina), Liberland (Croatia/Serbia border), Network States in general and Sea Steading (The Oceans). I am also covering secession movements including Greater Idaho, Please send details of any new happenings, projects or projects I am missing!
By Meryl Nass, Meryl’s CHAOS letter
The first set of slides are specific to HB-396. Other slides provide references and additional information on the crisis farmers are facing, and how HB-396 is the first step in turning the crisis around (and getting the federal government off the backs of small farmers by excessively regulating them and allowing food industry cartels to form, so that farming has become uneconomic). Becoming a farmer today is like taking a vow of poverty. And with the US currently failing to produce enough food for its population, the farming crisis is an impending food security crisis.
Ten of the slides are new; 14 are old. Let me know if you need more information. Below the slides is the bill language.
HB-396
AN ACT relative to the processing of cattle, swine, sheep, and goats at facilities not certified by the United States Department of Agriculture.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Exemptions; Food Service Licensure. Amend RSA 143-A:5, IX to read as follows:
IX. A farm owned or operated by any person, firm, or corporation that raises bison, elk, [or] red deer, cattle, swine, sheep, or goats for human consumption, and the direct sale within this state of the carcasses, parts, and meat[, and meat food products] of such animals, and meat food products of uninspected bison, elk, cattle, swine, sheep, goats, or red deer when slaughtered and processed in accordance with RSA 427:2-a, IV, to the consumer from such farm, at the producer’s farm stand, and by the producer at farmers’ markets, or when sold to a licensed restaurant in accordance with RSA 143-A:20.
2 Uninspected Bison, Elk, or Red Deer; Cattle, Swine, Sheep, and Goats Included. Amend RSA 143-A:18 to read as follows:
143-A:18 Definition of Uninspected Bison, Elk, [or] Red Deer, Cattle, Swine, Sheep, or Goats.
For purposes of this subdivision, “uninspected bison, elk, [or] red deer, cattle, swine, sheep, or goats“ means carcasses, parts, and meat[, and meat food products] of bison, elk, [or] red deer, cattle, swine, sheep, or goats, and meat food products of bison, elk, or red deer slaughtered and processed [in accordance with RSA 427:16, XII] and sold or to be sold [as provided in RSA 427:2-a, IV].
3 Labeling; Meat from Uninspected Bison, Elk, or Red Deer; Cattle, Swine, Sheep, and Goats Included. Amend RSA 143-A:19 to read as follows:
143-A:19 Labeling; Meat from Uninspected Bison, Elk, [or] Red Deer, Cattle, Swine, Sheep, and Goats.
All packaging containing uninspected bison, elk, [or] red deer, cattle, swine, sheep, or goats shall be clearly labeled to include a description of the product, the name, address, and telephone number of the farm where the product originates, and the date of slaughter.
4 Purchase of Uninspected Bison, Elk, or Red Deer by Licensed Restaurants; Cattle, Swine, Sheep, and Goats Included. Amend RSA 143-A:20 to read as follows:
143-A:20 Purchase of Uninspected Bison, Elk, [or] Red Deer, Cattle, Swine, Sheep, or Goats by Licensed Restaurants.
I. A licensed restaurant, as defined in RSA 143-A:14, II, may purchase from bison, elk, [or] red deer, cattle, swine, sheep, or goat producers uninspected bison, elk, [or] red deer, cattle, swine, sheep, or goat that is labeled in accordance with RSA 143-A:19.
II. For at least 90 days from the date of each purchase, the licensed restaurant shall keep on file the receipt of purchase to include the product purchased, the date of purchase, the name of the producer, the name and address of the farm, and phone number.
III. The licensed restaurant shall clearly label any menu item containing uninspected bison, elk, or red deer with the following statement: “This product was [slaughtered] initially processed at the farm and is exempt from state and federal inspection.”
III-a. The licensed restaurant shall clearly label any menu item containing uninspected cattle, swine, sheep, or goat with the following statement: “This product was initially processed at the farm and is exempt from state inspection.”
5 Purchase of Uninspected Bison, Elk, or Red Deer by Retailers; Cattle, Swine, Sheep, and Goats Included. Amend RSA 143-A:20-a to read as follows:
143-A:20-a Purchase of Uninspected Bison, Elk, [or] Red Deer, Cattle, Swine, Sheep, or Goat by Retailers.
I. A retailer may purchase from bison, elk, [or] red deer, cattle, swine, sheep, or goat producers uninspected bison, elk, [or] red deer, cattle, swine, sheep, or goat that is labeled in accordance with RSA 143-A:19 for resale.
II. For at least 90 days from the date of each purchase, the retailer shall keep on file the receipt of purchase to include the product purchased, the date of purchase, the name of the producer, the name and address of the farm, and phone number.
III. The retailer shall clearly label any product containing uninspected bison, elk, or red deer with the following statement: “This product was [slaughtered] initially processed at the farm and is exempt from state and federal inspection.”
IV. The retailer shall clearly label any product containing uninspected cattle, swine, sheep, or goat with the following statement: “This product was initially processed at the farm and is exempt from state inspection.”
6 Exemptions; Cattle, Swine, Sheep, and Goats. Amend RSA 427:2-a, IV to read as follows:
IV. The slaughter of bison, elk, [or] red deer, cattle, swine, sheep, or goats on a farm for purposes of sale, as provided in RSA 143-A:5, IX, shall be exempt from the provisions of this subdivision requiring inspection of the slaughter of animals and preparation of the carcasses, parts thereof, meat of such animals, and meat food products of bison, elk, or red deer for sale within this state to the public. The slaughter of a bison, elk, [or] red deer, cattle, swine, sheep, or goats under this paragraph shall be permitted only:
(a) When the owner of the bison, elk, [or] red deer, cattle, swine, sheep, or goat designates a slaughter area on the farm premises which is maintained in sanitary condition.
(b) When the bison, elk, [or] red deer, cattle, swine, sheep, or goat is slaughtered in a humane method, as defined in RSA 427:33, III, by the owner [or], the owner’s full time or seasonal employee, or the owner’s agent.
(c) [From September 1 to April 30.
(d)] When no more than 12 hours passes from the time of slaughter to the [placement] storage of the carcass [in a refrigerated facility] at or below 41 degrees Fahrenheit.
[(e)] (d) When a veterinarian licensed under RSA 332-B conducts an ante-mortem examination of each non-amenable herd on an annual basis and the documents related to his or her examination are kept on file with all relevant information including:
(1) Species being inspected;
(2) Herd condition; and
(3) Location and time of inspection.
[(f)] (e) When such non-amenable animal is transported to and processed at a facility that is eligible to conduct custom exempt activities as regulated by the USDA pursuant to 21 U.S.C. section 623(a) and associated departmental regulations.
[(g)] (f) When the owner of the bison, elk, or red deer retains the original copy of the report made in [subparagraph(e)] subparagraph (d). A copy of such report shall accompany the bison, elk, or red deer carcass to the processing facility. The processing facility shall retain a copy of the report for one year.
[(h)] (g) When bison, elk, or red deer meat is ground for sale, ground meat from every second animal processed shall be tested by the processing facility for Escherichia coli and salmonella at the owner’s expense. All aspects of the testing, including sampling, shall be done in a manner that complies with standards and procedures of the USDA, and may include the services of an outside laboratory. The owner of the meat shall not sell it until he or she is in receipt of the test result that indicates the product is safe to eat. The test result shall be kept by the owner for at least one year.
[(i)] (h) Prior to sale, as provided in RSA 143-A:5, IX, it is labeled as required in RSA 143-A:19.
[(j)] (i) When the elk or red deer are sourced, kept, and propagated consistent with the rules pursuant to RSA 207:14, RSA 212:25, and RSA 436:24.
[(k)] (j) When, in the event any atypical death of a red deer or elk on the farm, that animal’s carcass is tested for chronic wasting disease under rules established by the department of fish and game and the resulting test is negative.
V. No more than the following number of animals shall be processed per month under this paragraph:
(a) Three cattle.
(b) Five swine.
(c) Ten sheep or goats, or a combination thereof.
7 Department of Agriculture, Markets, and Food; Rulemaking. The department of agriculture, markets, and food, shall adopt rules under RSA 541-A relative to providing an annual training program for farmers to include, but not be limited to, training about safety, food quality, and product labeling and distribution.
8 Effective Date. This act shall take effect upon its passage.
The Best “Go Paid” Deal on Substack! You Get REAL Stuff!!
Go paid at the $5 a month level, and we will send you both the PDF and e-Pub versions of Etienne’s new book: To See the Cage Is to Leave It - 25 Techniques the Few Use to Control the Many and a coupon code for 10% off anything in the https://artofliberty.org/store/.
Go paid at the $50 a year level, and we will send you a free paperback edition of Etienne’s new book: To See the Cage Is to Leave It - 25 Techniques the Few Use to Control the Many OR “Government” - The Biggest Scam in History… Exposed! OR a 64GB Liberator flash drive if you live in the US. If you are international, we will give you a $10 credit towards shipping if you agree to pay the remainder.
Support us at the $250 Founding Member Level and get a signed high-resolution hardcover of “Government” - The Biggest Scam in History... Exposed! + Liberator flash drive + a signed high-resolution hardcover of Etienne’s new book: To See the Cage Is to Leave It - 25 Techniques the Few Use to Control the Many + everything else in our “Everything Bundle” of the best in voluntaryist thought delivered domestically. International pays shipping. Our only option for signed copies besides catching Etienne at an event.
