Johnson’s Cattle Contract Library unanimously passes the Agriculture Committee

Washington, D.C. – Today, the U.S. House Agriculture Committee unanimously passed the bipartisan Cattle Contract Library Act of 2021 (H.R. 5609). The bill was introduced by Ranking Member of the Livestock & Foreign Agriculture Subcommittee Dusty Johnson (R-S.D) and is the result of nearly a year of work with producers and industry leaders following the release of the July 2020 Boxed Beef & Fed Cattle Price Spread Investigation Report. The investigation recommended the creation of a cattle contract library.

This is the first cattle market transparency bill to pass out of the Democrat-led Agriculture Committee since the July 2020 report was released. The Cattle Contact Library Act is supported by the American Farm Bureau Federation, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, U.S. Cattlemen’s Association, National Farmers Union, Livestock Marketing Association, South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association, South Dakota Farm Bureau, and the South Dakota Farmers Union.

Following the Committee passage of the bill, Representative Johnson issued the following statement:

“Producers want action – they want more transparency in the cattle market – this bill is a step in the right direction,” said Johnson. “The Cattle Contract Library Act ushers in greater transparency and competition to an industry that desperately needs it. I’m grateful to the farmers & ranchers for their critical input to come to a consensus and I’m glad the committee answered this request. I’m going to fight like hell to get this bill passed out of the House.”