This guidance document provides information to State Cooperative Inspection programs about the criteria FSIS uses to determine each year whether State Meat and Poultry Inspection (MPI) programs are operating in accordance with requirements that are at least equal to the Federal inspection requirements. This guidance document relates to the parts of the FMIA (21 U.S.C. 661(b)) and the PPIA (21 U.S.C. 454 (b)) that authorize FSIS to cooperate with a single State agency and subordinate governmental unit primarily responsible for the coordination of a State MPI program.