(NAFB.com) – The bipartisan Amplifying Processing of Livestock in the United States Act, or A-PLUS Act, got introduced into the House last week.

The U.S. Cattlemen’s Association says it’s a long-overdue idea that will help spur more processing capacity in the U.S. if it gets enacted. It would allow livestock auction markets to hold an ownership interest in, finance, or participate in the management or operation of a packing facility with a slaughter capacity of fewer than 1,000 animals per day or 250,000 a year.

“The Packers and Stockyards Act is over 100 years old, and it’s time to modernize parts of this historic legislation that no longer make sense in the modern world,” says USCA President Brooke Miller. “If a family-owned and regionally-based livestock auction wants to invest in a local processing facility to increase processing capacity for producers in their area, there shouldn’t be an outdated regulation holding them back from doing so.”