Required Scale Tests

The Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) is amending one section of the regulations under the Packers and Stockyards Act of 1921, as amended and supplemented (P&S Act), regarding the requirement that stockyard owners, market agencies, dealers, packers, and live poultry dealers that weigh livestock, live poultry, or feed, have their scales tested at least twice each calendar year at intervals of approximately 6 months. This final rule requires that regulated entities complete the first of the two scale tests between January 1 and June 30 of the calendar year. The remaining scale test must be completed between July 1 and December 31 of the calendar year. In addition, a minimum period of 120 days will now be required between these two tests. GIPSA is also including in this final rule an exception for the testing of scales with limited seasonal use. More frequent testing, however, will still be required in cases where a scale does not maintain accuracy between tests. Finally, we are amending that same section of the regulations to add "swine contractors" to the list of regulated entities to which the section applies. GIPSA believes that this final rule will facilitate GIPSA's ability to regulate the business operations of stockyard owners, swine contractors, market agencies, dealers, packers, and live poultry dealers through the effective enforcement of the P&S Act.