User-Fee Financing of USDA Meat and Poultry Inspection

by James M. MacDonald, Fred Kuchler, Jean C. Buzby, Fitzroy Lee, and Lorna Aldrich

USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) finances about 13.5 percent of its budget outlays through user fees for overtime and unscheduled meat and poultry inspections. This report surveys the application of user-fees for financing meat and poultry inspection programs in other countries; reviews user-fee systems in other Federal agencies, particularly those with food and agricultural missions or regulatory responsibilities; and discusses the relevant economics literature on the use and design of user fees. Finally, the report suggests several elements that should underlie the structure of user fees for meat and poultry inspection, should such a program be introduced.

Keywords: user fees, meat inspection, public finance, Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)

In this publication...

• Entire Report
• Frontmatter (Abstract, Table of Contents, List of Tables and Figures, Summary)
• Introduction
• Meat and Poultry Inspection User Fees in Other Countries
• User Fees in Federal Agencies
• Economic Analysis and User Fee
• Options for FSIS
• References
• Appendix 1: Glossary of Abbreviations
• Appendix 2: Individual Country Experiences with User Fees