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Agriculture bill would add poultry authority to Oregon’s state meat inspection program
Summary
Deputy Director Jonathan Sandow told the committee Senate Bill 809 would add the Poultry Products Inspection Act references so Oregon’s state meat inspection program can inspect poultry and value‑added poultry products as part of the state’s 'as equal' arrangement with USDA.
Oregon Department of Agriculture officials told the Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources, and Water Committee that Senate Bill 809 would add statutory authority to allow the state meat inspection program to cover poultry and added-value poultry products.
Jonathan Sandow, deputy director at the Oregon Department of Agriculture, said Oregon established an "as equal" state meat-inspection program in 2022 in coordination with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He said a statutory omission prevented the state from inspecting poultry products and some added‑value poultry items, so the department worked with USDA to align statutes and rules. "That's what Senate Bill 809 does," Sandow told the committee.
Sandow said the Department has worked closely with USDA and completed successful audits; the change is primarily a statutory clarification to incorporate the Poultry Products Inspection Act reference and make rule updates. Representatives asked whether the change would expand the number of poultry processors in Oregon; Sandow said the immediate effect is expected in the added‑value product space (prepared foods incorporating poultry) and that a separate USDA exemption (20,000-bird exemption) still applies to some small slaughter operations.
The committee held a public hearing and took questions; no formal committee vote was recorded at the hearing.
