The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association announced its continued support for the Direct Interstate Retail Exemption for Certain Transactions (DIRECT) Act.

The legislation would increase marketing opportunities for smaller meat processors and give consumers more options to buy local beef.

“The cattle business benefits greatly from expanding marketing opportunities, and the DIRECT Act opens the door to the growing number of cattle producers seeking to grow their market across state lines,” said Buck Wehrbein, president of the NCBA. “The increased market exposure for these cattlemen and women who are selling beef directly to consumers adds value and promotes tremendous benefit for our farmers and ranchers.”

The DIRECT Act would allow state-inspected meat processors to sell their beef across state lines, in limited quantities and through e-commerce, directly to consumers.

The bill also protects food safety by ensuring a paper trail exists for tracing and containing potential food safety issues.