Packers and Stockyards Act

Packers and Stockyards Act
Great Seal of the United States
Other short titles
  • Packers' Bill
  • Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921
Long titleAn Act to regulate interstate and foreign commerce in live stock, live-stock products, dairy products, poultry, poultry products, and eggs, and for other purposes.
Acronyms (colloquial)PSA
NicknamesPackers and Stockyards Act of 1921
Enacted bythe 67th United States Congress
EffectiveAugust 15, 1921
Citations
Public lawPub. L. 67–51
Statutes at Large42 Stat. 159
Legislative history
  • Introduced in the House as H.R. 6320 by Gilbert N. Haugen (R–IA) on May 18, 1921
  • Committee consideration by House Agriculture, Senate Agriculture and Forestry
  • Passed the House on June 2, 1921 (passed)
  • Passed the Senate on June 17, 1921 (passed)
  • Reported by the joint conference committee on June 24, 1921; agreed to by the Senate on August 4, 1921 (50-11) and by the House on August 9, 1921 (agreed)
  • Signed into law by President Warren G. Harding on August 15, 1921

The Packers and Stockyards Act of 1921 (7 U.S.C. §§ 181-229b; P&S Act) regulates meatpacking, livestock dealers, market agencies, live poultry dealers, and swine contractors to prohibit unfair or deceptive practices, giving undue preferences, apportioning supply, manipulating prices, or creating a monopoly. It was enacted following the release in 1919 of the Report of the Federal Trade Commission on the meatpacking industry.