To amend the Federal Meat Inspection Act to authorize the distribution of wholesome meat for human consumption that has been condemned under that Act to charity and public agencies.
Public Law 101-205 · H.R. 2134 · 101st Congress · began in the House
Signed by George H. W. Bush (R) on Dec 7, 1989 · Agriculture and Food
Sponsor: Rep. Lawrence Smith (D-FL-16)
Cosponsors (61): Rep. Mickey Leland, Rep. Dante Fascell,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateVoice vote
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Amends the Federal Meat Inspection Act and the Poultry Products Inspection Act to authorize the distribution, as a court may direct, of a meat or poultry article without charge to nonprofit private entities or to State, local, and Federal entities engaged in the distribution of food without charge to individuals if the article has been inspected pursuant to the appropriate Act, found to be wholesome and not adulterated, and is plainly marked "not for sale." Relieves the United States and the person from whom the meat was seized and condemned from legal responsibility for the article if it was found after inspection under the Act to be wholesome, not adulterated, and properly marked.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Agriculture Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture Subcommittee; Domestic Marketing, Consumer Relations, and Nutrition Subcommittee
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 20 actions.
- Dec 7, 1989Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 101-205.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Dec 1, 1989PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Nov 20, 1989FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee
- Nov 15, 1989CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee
- Nov 13, 1989FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · On ordering a second Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Morrison (WA) demanded a second on the motion to suspend the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. de la Garza moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Agriculture Committee
- Nov 9, 1989CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Agriculture Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture Subcommittee of the House Agriculture Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from Domestic Marketing, Consumer Relations, and Nutrition Subcommittee of the House Agriculture Committee
- May 1, 1989CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture Subcommittee of the House Agriculture Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Domestic Marketing, Consumer Relations, and Nutrition Subcommittee of the House Agriculture Committee
- Apr 26, 1989CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Agriculture Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
Data notes
Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.