WASHINGTON — Sens. Ted Stevens of Alaska and Daniel Akaka of Hawai'i have helped introduced a bill to stiffen penalties against slaughterhouses that illegally process cows too sick to stand.

The legislation comes in response to the scandal over a Southern California slaughterhouse that improperly allowed so-called downer cattle into the food supply, leading to a recall of 143 million pounds of beef. Downer cows pose higher risk of mad cow disease and other infections.

Thousands of pounds of frozen ground beef purchased for Hawai'i school lunch programs had to be buried.

The bill would set punishment at a fine for a first violation, one-year suspension for a second and permanent shutdown for a third.

The legislation is also sponsored by Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer of California.