Maine Representative Chellie Pingree is teaming up with a Republican congressman from Nebraska in an effort to make locally produced meat and poultry more accessible.
Pingree joined up with Jeff Fortenberry on the "Strengthening Local Processing Act."
It would help smaller facilities expand to meet demand and adapt to the coronavirus pandemic.
The bill would increase how much the feds pay for state inspections and encourage more states to operate inspection programs.
It would also open up grants for small facilities and other activities related to coronavirus recovery.
Meat processing plants were hit particularly hard by the disease in the early months of the pandemic.