Massachusetts Restaurant Association et al. v. Healy et al.

Issue

On Wednesday, August 3, 2022, the Restaurant Law Center, jointly with the Massachusetts Restaurant Association, HospitalityMaine, New Hampshire Lodging & Restaurant Association, Rhode Island Hospitality Association, and the National Pork Producers Council, filed a lawsuit against the State of Massachusetts to stop it from enforcing a law that would limit what meat products could be sold in Massachusetts and distributed through Massachusetts to other states.

August 11, 2022

The United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts issued a Stipulation and Joint Motion To Stay, agreed to by all parties, to stop the enforcement of the Massachusetts “Pork Rules” scheduled to begin on August 15, 2022.

July 10, 2023

The District Judge entered an electronic order granting the Motion to Extend Stay until August 23, 2023.

August 4, 2023

Joint Stipulation where parties agree that the Pork Rules will not apply to whole pork meat that is already in the supply chain as of August 23, 2023 and that regulations will be issued clarifying that the Pork Rules will not apply to sales of whole pork meat in Massachusetts when that meat is both farmed and sold to a consumer out-of-state—known as transshipment through Massachusetts.

February 7, 2024

The parties filed a Joint Motion where the Plaintiffs agree to stay the proceeding until August 7, 2024, pending promulgation of final regulations, while the Defendants agree to stay enforcement of the Pork Sales Rules as to Transshipped Whole Pork Meat during this “Regulatory Stay Period.”

August 2, 2024

The parties filed a Joint Motion where the Plaintiffs agree to stay the proceeding until February 2025, pending promulgation of final regulations, while the Defendants agree to stay enforcement of the Pork Sales Rules as to Transshipped Whole Pork Meat during this “Regulatory Stay Period.”