DIRECT Act of 2025

# DIRECT Act of 2025 - Plain Language Summary **What the Bill Does:** The DIRECT Act would allow meat and poultry products inspected by state authorities to be sold online and shipped directly to customers' homes across state lines. Currently, state-inspected meat and poultry can only be sold within the same state unless a state joins a separate federal program. This bill would remove that restriction, letting local butchers, farms, and restaurants ship their products nationwide to consumers. **Key Details and Who It Affects:** The bill includes safeguards: shipments would be limited to household consumers in typical retail amounts (for example, no more than 300 pounds of beef per order) and wouldn't apply to exports.

This change primarily affects small meat producers and local retailers who want to expand their customer base beyond their state's borders, as well as consumers who want access to state-inspected meat products from other regions. Large commercial meat producers already have federal inspection and can ship nationwide. **Current Status:** The bill was introduced in the 119th Congress by Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS) and is currently in committee, meaning it hasn't been voted on yet and remains in the early stages of the legislative process.