Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Livestock Consolidation Research Act of 2026”.
Livestock Consolidation Research Act of 2026
A BILL
To require the Administrator of the Economic Research Service to conduct research on consolidation and concentration in the livestock industry, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Livestock consolidation research
In general— Not later than 1 year after the date on which each latest Census of Agriculture is made publicly available, the Administrator of the Economic Research Service shall publish a report on consolidation and concentration in the livestock industry, including—
changes in the size and location of ranches, farms, processing facilities, and packers throughout the United States; and
the impact of the changes described in paragraph (1) on farmers, ranchers, and downstream consumers, including—
financial impacts;
market entry impacts;
access to resources and inputs, including processing facilities; and
dietary impacts.
Sources of information— In preparing a report under subsection (a), the Administrator of the Economic Research Service shall draw on data available to the Secretary of Agriculture, including the Census of Agriculture, inspection records of the Food Safety and Inspection Service, and the packing plant data of the Packers and Stockyards Division of the Agricultural Marketing Service.
Report organization— The report under subsection (a) shall separate information on beef cattle by cow-calf and fed cattle operations.
Confidentiality— A report published under subsection (a) shall not contain any confidential business information.
Definition of livestock— In this section, the term livestock includes beef, dairy, pork, and poultry production (including broilers, eggs, and turkeys).