HB 4 -- Livestock Marketing

Co-Sponsors:  Shoemyer, Legan, Berkowitz, Myers, Merideth,
Hegeman, Britt

This bill repeals the right of sellers of livestock who are
discriminated against by packers to receive treble damages,
costs, and reasonable attorney fees. It also repeals the right
of any person injured by a violation of the livestock marketing
law to bring suit under Chapter 407, RSMo.

Provisions requiring a packer purchasing livestock for slaughter
not to discriminate in prices paid to sellers of that livestock
are replaced with provisions that make it unlawful for a packer
to:

(1)  Engage in any unfair, unjustly discriminatory, or deceptive
practice;

(2)  Give any undue or unreasonable preference or advantage to
any person or location in any respect whatsoever;

(3)  Sell or transfer to, for, or from any other packer with the
effect of apportioning the supply between the packers,
restraining trade, or creating a monopoly;

(4)  Sell or transfer any article with the effect of
manipulating or controlling prices;

(5)  Engage in any business practice for the purpose of
manipulating or controlling prices, creating a monopoly, or
restraining commerce; or

(6)  Conspire with any other person to apportion territory for
carrying on business, apportion purchases, or control prices.

The provisions of the bill are to be enforced by the Attorney
General in a manner consistent with the purposes and intent of
the Packers and Stockyards Act (7 U.S.C.A. section 9).

The bill has an emergency clause.

Missouri House of Representatives
Last Updated October 19, 2001 at 4:30 pm