Petitioning against HR 875

[paganfish]

Hey All-

Long time no see...I don't know if anyone has seen this but here it goes.

Shawn was just reading this to me and it sort of raised my hackles. For what it's worth I am sharing it with you since I know you are all, like me, backyard chicken (as well as other livestock) farmers.

This Bill would affect not just small/backyard chicken farming...but ANY farming. Raw vegetables and the sort.

Here's the copy of the Bill in its entirety. It's a bit much information (and legal jargon) but I am including it in order that you are aware of just what it entails.

H 875: http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h111-875

Here's what you can do...the Bill is on the floor and there is doubt that it will pass but, what if? The answer to that question...scares ME!

http://www.campaignforliberty.com/blog.php?view=12671

Pay close attention (as the author states) to section three of the definitions. If you don't read the entire thing...read this!

The Bill states that should you not abide by the rules stated you would be subjected to some authoritative figures fines. Which all sounds very arbitrary to me. In other words, you (nay WE) would be regulate.

I normally don't post this sort of thing but it really compounds the fact that I got a letter from CSU a few weeks ago asking if I would volunteer in some research they are doing with birds and interactions with human. I have NO idea how they got my information nor do I want to get involved in this. It has me upset and a bit ill at ease!

Regards-

Pedro

 

[Wifezilla]

Thanks for posting that pedro. Yeah, that letter you got sounded really suspicious to me.

 

[pipermark]

Actually the bill is still in committee. There was another post about this bill. I have read it. The only problem I had with it was it did not have an exemption for non-profit and personal use. Here is what I posted on the other post about the same topic.

This is a copy of an email I have sent to the sponsor , my state rep, who is a co-sponsor and to the 2 committees that the bill now sits in. I do not have a problem with the government protecting the health of the population, in fact, it is their constitutional mandate to do so, however I think it should be made clear that people processing food for non-profit or personal consumption are non-exempt. They could even add a provision for processing food for large non-profit events that a sign has to be posted stating the food was not processed at a federally inspected facility. In Arkansas you are suppose to do that if you are serving food not prepared by in a facility with a current health license, though they don't ever enforce it.


HR 875.:: As you may know this bill is stirring some controversy on forums and blogs around the country. Headlines like this one, taken from a forum with a large following of backyard growers of livestock and poultry, HR 875 Could Criminalize backyard Chickens & Gardening, are trying to galvanize people against this bill.

I would suggest strongly an exemption be added for people processing food for their personal use or “not for sale”. This would mean someone good still butcher an animal for a friend or relative. The bill as written doesn’t seem to provide for that, in fact, as, written, I shouldn’t even butcher a game animal for consumption. I think this bill’s intention was to prevent harmful pathogens from becoming a potentially wide spread health problem, similar to the recent peanut problem.

Since, many feel that is was this “outbreak” was the catalyst for this bills creation, we wonder why the better solution wouldn’t be the enforcement of the health laws currently available, many of which would have closed that manufacturing facility or forced them to improve their plant which , in either case, would have avoided the situation.

Well, we can not expect a dog to change it spots, so please at least consider adding the exemption for allowing the not for profit processing of food or processing of food for personal consumption exemption.

Thank you.

Mark Piper

 

[DuckLady]

Thread already started. Please continue discussion there. Thanks.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=143926