December 20, 2024
Agricultural Law Weekly Review—December 20, 2024
Agribusiness: Federal Court Enjoins Corporate Transparency Act Ownership Reporting Requirement, January 1, 2025 Deadline Paused 🌾
On December 3, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas issued a memorandum opinion and order granting a preliminary injunction enjoining the federal government from enforcing the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) and its Beneficial Ownership Information reporting requirements. Texas Top Cop Shop, Inc. v. Garland, No. 4:24-cv-00478. The court followed the reasoning identified in the March 2024 opinion in National Small Business United v. Yellen and determined that “the CTA is not justified by the Commerce Clause, nor the Necessary and Proper Clause in conjunction with some enumerated power.” On December 5, 2024, the U.S. Government filed a notice of appeal of the court’s decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. As a result of the court’s injunction, the CTA’s January 1, 2025 beneficial ownership information reporting deadline is now paused. See also ALWR—Mar. 18, 2024, “Federal District Court Finds Corporate Transparency Act Unconstitutional, United States Appeals to Eleventh Circuit.”
For more on the CTA injunction, see the following articles from the National Agricultural Law Center (NALC) and NALC partner centers:
- Iowa St. Univ. Ctr. Agric. Law & Tax’n, Updated! Federal District Court Pauses Enforcement of Beneficial Ownership Information Reporting, Kristine A. Tidgren (Dec. 6, 2024)
- Ohio St. Univ. Ext. Farm Off. Blog, Federal Court Puts Corporate Transparency Act Ownership Reporting on Hold, Peggy Kirk Hall (Dec. 5, 2024)
- Nat’l Agric. Law Ctr., Texas Federal Judge Issues Nationwide Injunction, Suspends Business Ownership Reporting Requirements, Drew Viguet (Dec. 4, 2024)
Agricultural Labor: DOL Publishes Adverse Effect Wage Rates, Effective December 16 & 30, 2024
On December 16, 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Employment and Training Administration (ETA) published in the Federal Register updated Adverse Effect Wage Rates (AEWRs) for H-2A temporary agricultural workers employed in range (89 FR 101630) and non-range (89 FR 101628) occupations. DOL published the following statement on its AEWR webpage: Under “the Farmworker Protection Rule (89 FR 33898) . . . ‘[t]he updated AEWR will be effective as of the date of publication of the notice in the Federal Register. However, due to the District Court’s issuance of a preliminary injunction in the case Kansas, et al. v. U.S. Department of Labor, No. 2:24-cv-00076 (S.D. Ga., Aug. 26, 2024), DOL is prohibited from enforcing the Farmworker Protection Rule in certain states and with respect to certain entities. Therefore, the effective date of the updated AEWR for these states will be December 30, 2024.” The current non-range AEWR for Pennsylvania is $17.96, which is up from $17.20 (88 FR 86677) and became effective upon publication December 16, 2024. See also ALWR—Dec. 10, 2024, “Two Federal Courts Block ‘Temporary Ag Workers’ Rule, Nationwide Stay Issued.”
Biotechnology: AquaBounty Announces Termination of Bay Fortune Farming Operations
On December 11, 2024, AquaBounty—the only U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved company to produce genetically modified Atlantic salmon—issued a press release announcing that the company will “immediately begin to wind down its Bay Fortune operation, its only remaining operating farm,” located in Prince Edward Island, a Canadian Province. According to the press release, the company expects to “cull[] . . . all remaining fish and . . . reduc[e] . . . substantially all personnel over the course of the next several weeks.” AquaBounty’s CEO stated that the company’s efforts “to raise capital, including the sale of [its] farms and equipment” “have not generated enough cash to maintain [its] operating facilities” and leaves the company with “no alternative but to close down [its] remaining farm operations and reduce [its] staff.” For more, see the Center’s Genetically Modified Salmon Issue Tracker.
Food Labeling: USDA, FDA Seek Public Comment on Food Date Labeling Terms ‘Sell By,’ ‘Use By,’ ‘Best By’
On December 4, 2024, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published in the Federal Register a notice (89 FR 96205) requesting public comment on food date labeling, including “the use of terms such as ‘Sell By,’ ‘Use By’ and ‘Best By’” (FSIS-2024-0021). According to the notice, while “FSIS and FDA encourage the use of the phrase ‘Best if Used By,’ current federal regulations do not prohibit industry from using other date labeling phrases, such as ‘Sell By’ or ‘Use By,’ if they are truthful and not misleading.” Additionally, the notice states that “the number, diversity, and complexity of food products in the marketplace along with significant variability in the environmental, storage, and distribution conditions of food create challenges for standardization of food safety or quality date labels.” Also announced by FDA, the agencies seek information regarding industry practices and preferences for date labeling, research on consumer perception of date labeling, and food loss and waste research. The information request is available for public comment until February 3, 2025.
Food Policy: Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s 2025 Report Published, Available for Comment
On December 11, 2024, the U.S. Health and Human Services Department (HHS), with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), published in the Federal Register a notice (89 FR 99883) requesting public comments on the Scientific Report of the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, available at DietaryGuidelines.gov. Also announced by USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), the “Scientific Report, alongside public comments and federal agency input, will inform the two departments as they develop the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030,” which FNS “expect[s] to be published in late 2025.” According to the report, “the Committee could not draw a conclusion about the relationship between consumption of milk with different fat content by older children, adolescents, adults, or older adults and these outcomes because of substantial concerns with the body of evidence” and, as such, “decided that evidence is not sufficient to advise changing current Dietary Guidelines recommendations for primary consumption of unsweetened fat-free and low-fat milk across the lifespan.” Additionally, the report states that “[e]vidence indicates that when reducing butter, processed and unprocessed red meat, and dairy, substitution or replacement with a wide range of plant-based food sources . . . is associated with cardiovascular disease risk reduction.” The scientific report is open for public comment until February 10, 2025 (HHS-OASH-2024-0017) and a public meeting is scheduled for January 16, 2025.
Agribusiness: Federal Court Preliminarily Enjoins Arkansas Foreign Land Ownership Law
On December 9, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas issued a redacted order and notice of order preliminarily enjoining the State of Arkansas from enforcing Act 636 of 2023 (SB 383), which prohibits ownership of property in Arkansas by “foreign-party-controlled businesses,” and Act 174 of 2024 (SB79), which prohibits foreign-party controlled businesses from acquiring or holding any interest in a digital asset mining business (data center) within the state. Jones Eagle LLC v. Ward, No. 4:24-cv-00990. The plaintiffs alleged in their complaint that Acts 636 and 174 are discriminatory and unconstitutional because they discriminate “based on race, alienage, and national origin,” violating the Fourteenth Amendment’s equal protection clause, and that the Acts “discriminate against interstate and foreign commerce in violation of the commerce clause.” The preliminary injunction is currently limited to actions against the plaintiff, Jones Eagle, but the court stated that “Jones Eagle is likely to succeed on its field preemption claim under the foreign affairs doctrine with respect to both Acts 636 and 174.” See also the National Agricultural Law Center’s Foreign Ownership of Agricultural Land Resource Library.
Tax Policy: 2023 Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act Signed Into Law
On December 12, 2024, President Joe Biden signed into law H.R.5863 (P.L. No. 118-148), the “Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2023.” The law “excludes from taxpayer gross income, for income tax purposes, any amount received by an individual taxpayer as compensation for expenses or losses incurred due to a qualified wildfire disaster.” Additionally, the law “excludes relief payments for losses resulting from the East Palestine, Ohio train derailment on February 3, 2023.” Also endorsed by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), the law will exclude from taxable income payments received by “cattle producers . . . due to wildfires.”
Agricultural Finance: USDA Announces Marketing Assistance Program for Specialty Crop Producers
On December 10, 2024, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) published in the Federal Register a notice (89 FR 99212) of funding availability for its new Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops (MASC) program, which will provide financial assistance to such producers to “offset higher marketing costs related to tenderness and perishability . . . specialized handling and transport equipment . . . packaging to prevent damage; moving perishables to market quickly; and higher labor costs.” Also announced by FSA, the program is available to specialty crop producers who have “an average adjusted gross income (AGI) of less than $900,000 for tax years 2021, 2022, and 2023, unless the producer or legal entity’s average adjusted gross farm income is at least 75 percent of their average AGI” and meets certain eligibility requirements. The MASC application deadline is January 8, 2025.
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Understanding Agricultural Law Series. A free monthly Zoom webinar series for agricultural and rural business advisors. One hour of substantive CLE credit available for Pennsylvania-licensed attorneys at no charge. All events on Fridays, noon–1 pm (ET). Upcoming:
- Jan. 24, 2025, Understanding the Basics of Pennsylvania’s Carbon Sequestration Law
- Feb. 28, 2025, Understanding the Basics of Pesticide Drift
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Podcasts:
Farmland Legal Energy Podcast
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Introduction to Precision Agriculture
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Resources of Interest:
Nat’l Agric. Law Ctr., Recent Federal Proposals affecting Meat & Poultry Processing, Elizabeth Rumley (Dec. 5, 2024)
Nat’l Agric. Law Ctr., Federal Court Upholds Treated Seeds Exemption, Brigit Rollins (Dec. 3, 2024)
Agric. Law & Tax’n Blog, Boundaries and Surveys, Roger A. McEowen (Dec. 1, 2024)
Penn State Ext., Conservation Practices Improve Organic Dairy Operation, Jesse Bussard (Dec. 5, 2024)
STATE ACTIONS—EXECUTIVE & LEGISLATIVE
PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE PRESS RELEASES
Shapiro Administration Encourages Pennsylvanians to Donate a Tree through ‘Trees for Troops’ to Brighten Servicemembers’ Holidays (Dec. 5, 2024)
PENNSYLVANIA EXECUTIVE AGENCIES
(Pa. Bulletin Vol. 54, No. 49—Dec. 7, 2024; Vol. 54, No. 50—Dec. 14, 2024):
Department of Agriculture
54 Pa.B. 8088 Notice: “Temporary Order Designating Dangerous Transmissible Diseases”
54 Pa.B. 7873 Notice: “General Quarantine Order; Influenza A Viruses in Ruminants; Mandatory Testing of Milk from Pennsylvania Dairy Farms”
54 Pa.B. 7875 Notice: “Seed Analysis Fees”
Department of Environmental Protection
54 Pa.B. 8195 Notice: “2024 Pennsylvania Great Lakes Water Management Program Report Finalized”
54 Pa.B. 8092 Notice: “Applications, Actions and Special Notices”
54 Pa.B. 8195 Notice: “Availability of Technical Guidance”
54 Pa.B. 8196 Notice: “Bid Opportunity”
54 Pa.B. 8233 Notice: “Environmental Assessment Approvals for PENNVEST Funding Consideration”
54 Pa.B. 8197 Notice: “Federal Consistency under the Coastal Zone Management Act; Erie-Western Pennsylvania Port Authority McAllister South Dockwall Replacement”
54 Pa.B. 8197 Notice: “Reorganization of Water Program Documents on eLibrary”
54 Pa.B. 8198 Notice: “Safe Drinking Water General Permit for Community Water System Finished Water Storage Tank Painting”
54 Pa.B. 7877 Notice: “Applications, Actions and Special Notices: The Pennsylvania Clean Streams Law and the Federal Clean Water Act Applications for National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permits and Water Quality Management (WQM) Permits Under the Clean Streams Law and Federal Clean Water Act”
54 Pa.B. 7967 Notice: “Availability of Technical Guidance”
PENNSYLVANIA LEGISLATURE
No recent developments.
FEDERAL ACTIONS—EXECUTIVE & LEGISLATIVE
U.S. ENVIROMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
EPA Reaches $162,246 Settlement with The Pond Guy in Armada, Michigan, for Allegedly Selling Unregistered and Misbranded Pesticide Products (Dec. 13, 2024)
EPA Announces Total of Nearly $23M in Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grants to Two Rural Projects in Kansas and Missouri (Dec. 13, 2024)
EPA to Hold Public Hearing on its Objection to Ohio’s Proposed Wastewater Discharge Permit for Port Clinton (Dec. 13, 2024)
Biden-Harris Administration Boosts Workforce Training in Underserved and Overburdened Communities, Invests Nearly $7.7 Million in Brownfields Job Training Grants under Investing in America Agenda (Dec. 13, 2024)Biden-Harris Administration Announces Nearly $1.6 Billion in Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grants (Dec. 12, 2024)
EPA highlights $20 million award for the Clean Water is Safe Water Community Initiative in North Carolina (Dec. 12, 2024)
EPA Announces 16 Organizations Across U.S. to Receive Nearly $7.5M in Brownfields Job Training Grants at Wichita, Kansas, Event (Dec. 12, 2024)
Biden-Harris Administration Announces Final Rule for Carbon Tetrachloride to Protect Workers (Dec. 11, 2024)
EPA, DOJ and State of Illinois File Complaint Against City of East St. Louis for Unlawful Discharges of Untreated Sewage (Dec. 11, 2024)
Biden-Harris Administration Announces Over $735M in Selections for Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles as Part of Investing in America Agenda (Dec. 11, 2024)
EPA Announces the Final Rule to Modernize State and Tribal Implementation of Clean Water Act Program (Dec. 11, 2024)
EPA extends evaluation deadline of proposals to reduce PCB concentrations and/or toxicity at the GE-Pittsfield/Housatonic River Site (Dec. 10, 2024)
EPA Requires California’s Central Valley Meat Company to Improve Chemical Safety (Dec. 10, 2024)
EPA Fines Iowa Army Plant and Contractor for Alleged Hazardous Waste Violations (Dec. 10, 2024)
EPA selects three Alaska Native organizations for $3.8M to assess and clean up legacy contamination (Dec. 9, 20240
EPA Reaches $546,972 Settlement with Beckart Environmental in Kenosha, Wisconsin for Allegedly Selling Unregistered Pesticide Products (Dec. 9, 2024)
EPA Approves Interim Plan to Stop Groundwater Contamination from Leaving the BASF North Works Site in Wyandotte, Michigan (Dec. 9, 2024)
EPA’s Annual Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Results Include Strongest Outcomes Since 2017 (Dec. 5, 20240
EPA’s Annual Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Results Include Strongest Outcomes Since 2017 (Dec. 5, 2024)
Renewed EPA wastewater permits require Haines, Sitka, Skagway, and Wrangell to significantly reduce bacteria from sewage discharges (Dec. 5, 2024)
PSF, formerly Peter Pan Seafoods, pays $750K penalty for Clean Water Act violations in Valdez and King Cove, Alaska (Dec. 5, 2024)
EPA Reforms New Chemicals Review Process to Better Protect Public Health, Promote Efficiency and Consistency (Dec. 4, 2024)
EPA Fines Ajinomoto Health & Nutrition North America Inc. for Alleged Violations of Multiple Environmental Laws in Eddyville, Iowa (Dec. 4, 2024)
EPA and Chicago State University Form Strategic Partnership to Support Careers in STEM (Dec. 3, 2024)
EPA Announces Community Meeting Dec. 5 to Discuss EPA Air Monitoring in Verona, Missouri (Dec. 3, 2024)
EPA Settles Alleged Clean Air Act Violations with BCP Ingredients Inc. in Verona, Missouri (Dec. 3, 2024)
EPA Proposes Rule to Revoke Most Food Uses of the Insecticide Chlorpyrifos (Dec. 2, 2024)
EPA New England accepting public comment on Draft Title V air permits for two offshore wind farm projects (Dec. 2, 2024)
EPA Penalizes Kansas Packaging Companies for Alleged Hazardous Waste Violations (Dec. 2, 2024)
EPA Selects Recipient for Source Reduction Assistance Grant in Savannah, Georgia (Dec. 2, 2024)
EPA Announces Updated Cleanup Plan for Torch Lake Superfund Site in Houghton County, Michigan (Nov. 29, 2024)
U.S DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (USDA) PRESS RELEASES
USDA Announces Availability of $1.13 Billion for Local Food Programs (Dec. 10, 2024)
USDA Invests $6.3 Billion to Strengthen Rural Infrastructure and Create Good-Paying Jobs in 44 States (Dec. 10, 2024)
Scientific Report of 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Now Available Online (Dec. 10, 2024)
At White House Tribal Nations Summit, USDA Delivers on Actions to Empower Indian Country (Dec. 9, 2024)
USDA Announces New Federal Order, Begins National Milk Testing Strategy to Address H5N1 in Dairy Herds (Dec. 6, 2024)
Biden-Harris Administration Sets Record Investment in Private Lands Conservation in 2024 Thanks to Inflation Reduction Act (Dec. 4, 2024)
USDA Announces Over $194 Million in New Projects to Increase Economic Opportunities Through Rural Partners Network (Dec. 4, 2024)
USDA-FDA Seek Information About Food Date Labeling, Aim is to Provide Further Clarity, Transparency and Cost Savings for U.S. Consumers (Dec. 3, 2024)
USDA AGENCY PRESS RELEASES:
Agricultural Marketing Service
USDA Highlights Investment of $119 Million in Business Builder Grants for Small and Mid-Sized Farm and Food Businesses (Dec. 12, 2024)
USDA Announces Availability of $1.13 Billion for Local Food Programs (Dec. 10, 2024)
USDA Restricts PACA Violators in Texas, Florida, New Jersey and Oregon from Operating in the Produce Industry (Dec. 10, 2024)
USDA Restricts PACA Violators in California, Georgia, New Jersey and Texas from Operating in the Produce Industry (Dec. 10, 2024)
USDA and the Southwest Regional Food Business Center Make Available $4 Million for Small and Mid-Sized Food and Farm Businesses (Dec. 5, 2024)
USDA and Utah Award $2.3 Million to Projects that Strengthen Food Supply Chain Infrastructure (Dec. 5, 2024)
USDA Lifts PACA Reparation Sanctions on Texas Produce Business (Dec. 2, 2024)
USDA Settles a Packers and Stockyards Case with Casey Weaver d.b.a. CM Livestock (Dec. 2, 2024)
USDA and Hawaii Award $2.6 Million to Projects that Strengthen Food Supply Chain Infrastructure (Dec. 2, 2024)
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
USDA Approves Emergency Funding to Protect U.S. Livestock and Animals from New World Screwworm (Dec. 13, 2024)
Plant Protection Today: What You Need to Know Before Shipping and Receiving Agricultural Items (Dec. 11, 2024)
Farm Service Agency
USDA Designates 1 Michigan as Primary Natural Disaster Areas (Dec. 13, 2024)
USDA Announces Availability of Low-Interest Physical Loss Loans for Producers Affected by Excessive Heat in North Dakota (Dec. 12, 2024)
USDA Announces Availability of Low-Interest Physical Loss Loans for Producers Affected by Natural Disasters (Dec. 12, 2024)
USDA Designates Carbon County, Montana, as Primary Natural Disaster Areas for Drought Six Contiguous Counties Also Eligible for Assistance (Dec. 11, 2024)
New Marketing Assistance Now Available for Specialty Crop Producers (Illinois) (Dec. 10, 2024)
SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans Available to Montana Small Businesses (Dec. 10, 2024)
Farm Service Agency Library Hours Give Cleveland Residents Chance to Learn about Opportunities in Agriculture (Dec. 10, 2024)
Deadline Approaching in Montana for SBA Working Capital Loans Due to Drought (Dec. 9, 2024)
USDA Designates 1 Utah County as Primary and 1 Arizona County as Contiguous Natural Disaster Areas for Drought (Dec. 9, 2024)
New Marketing Assistance Now Available for Specialty Crop Producers (Dec. 9, 2024)
USDA Designates 3 Nevada Primary Counties and 1 Arizona County as Contiguous Natural Disaster Area for Drought (Dec. 9, 2024)
Loans Now Available to Agricultural Producers for Controlled Atmosphere Storage to Extend the Shelf Life of Perishable Commodities (Dec. 6, 2024)
Loans Now Available to Agricultural Producers for Controlled Atmosphere Storage to Extend the Shelf Life of Perishable Commodities (Dec. 5, 2024)
Loans Now Available to Agricultural Producers for Controlled Atmosphere Storage to Extend the Shelf Life of Perishable Commodities (Dec. 5, 2024)
USDA Designates 4 Oklahoma Counties as Primary Natural Disaster Areas for Drought (Dec. 4, 2024)
Federal Emergency Management Agency Designates Oklahoma 3 Counties as Contiguous Natural Disaster Areas (Dec. 4, 2024)
USDA Designates Numerous New York Counties as Natural Disaster Areas Due to Weather Events (Dec. 4, 2024)
Multiple Farm Recovery Centers to be Held in December 2024 (Dec. 3, 2024)
Loans Now Available to Agricultural Producers for Controlled Atmosphere Storage to Extend the Shelf Life of Perishable Commodities (Dec. 3, 2024)
Loans Now Available to Agricultural Producers for Controlled Atmosphere Storage to Extend the Shelf Life of Perishable Commodities (Dec. 3, 2024)
USDA Announces December 2024 Lending Rates for Agricultural Producers (Dec. 2, 2024)
Food and Nutrition Service
USDA Announces Availability of $1.13 Billion for Local Food Programs (Dec. 10, 2024)
Scientific Report of 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Now Available Online (Dec. 10, 2024)
Food Safety and Inspection Service
Constituent Update – December 13, 2024 (Dec. 13, 2024)
Constituent Update – December 6, 2024 (Dec. 6, 2024)
Keep Your Traditions Safe at Your Next Tamalada (Dec. 5, 2024)
Residue Repeat Violators List (Nov. 29, 2024)
Foreign Agriculture Service
Enthusiasts Go Nuts for Nuts at SIAL Paris 2024 (Dec. 6, 2024)
USDA Launches Agribusiness Trade Mission to Morocco (Dec. 2, 2024)
Forest Service
USDA Forest Service announces new monitoring policy (Dec. 4, 2024)
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Land-grant Programs Strengthen Local Food Systems (Dec. 12, 2024)
NIFA Invests $300K in Response to Extreme Weather Events Across the U.S. (AFRI 1712) (Dec. 4, 2024)
USDA Announces 2024 National Teaching Awards for Food and Agricultural Sciences (Dec. 3, 2024)
Committee on Controlled Environment Technology and Use Wins 2024 agInnovation Excellence in Multistate Research Award (Dec. 2, 2024)
National Resource Conservation Service
USDA-NRCS Encourages Producers in Kansas to Apply for NRCS CSP ACT NOW Forestland Assistance by April 18, 2025 (Dec. 13, 2024)
Equity in Conservation Spotlight: Supporting village-driven agriculture in rural Alaska (Dec. 11, 2024)
Equity in Conservation Spotlight: Participatory conservation through subsistence agriculture in Tyonek Tribal Conservation District (Dec. 11, 2024)
NRCS Ohio Announces Application Deadline for Fiscal Year 2025 for Select Programs (Dec. 10, 2024)
NRCS Tops $100 Million in Conservation Funding to Iowa Farmers (Dec. 9, 2024)
NRCS Delaware CSP Signup Reminder (Dec. 6, 2024)
Conservation Trailblazers: Amplifying Water Quality Benefits Through Stacking Practices (Dec. 5, 2024)
Easement Protects Leelanau County Orchard (Dec. 5, 2024)
NRCS in N.H. Announces Second Application Date for Fiscal Year 2025 for Select Programs (Dec. 5, 2024)
Biden-Harris Administration Sets Record Investment in Private Lands Conservation in 2024 Thanks to Inflation Reduction Act (Dec. 4, 2024)
Op-Ed: Indiana’s Call to Measure, Monitor and Manage Our Precious Soils (Dec. 4, 2024)
Landscape Restoration Applications Open (Dec. 3, 2024)
Emergency Watershed Protection Program Deadline for Sponsors Affected by Tropical Storm Helene (Dec. 3, 2024)
USDA-NRCS Announces Application Deadline Established for Agriculture Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) in Kansas (Dec. 3, 2024)
USDA-NRCS State Technical Committee meeting set for Dec. 11 (Nov. 29, 2024)
Risk Management Agency
USDA to Enhance Support for Farmers with Increased Replant Payments (Dec. 5, 2024)
Rural Development
USDA Invests $6.3 Billion to Strengthen Rural Infrastructure and Create Good-Paying Jobs in 44 States (Dec. 10, 2024)
USDA Announces Over $194 Million in New Projects to Increase Economic Opportunities Through Rural Partners Network (Dec. 4, 2024)
FEDERAL EXECUTIVE AGENCIES (Federal Register Nov. 29—Dec. 9, 2024):
Agricultural Department
89 FR 97477 Rule: “OneRD Guaranteed Loan Regulation” (Dec. 9, 2024)
89 FR 95170 Notice: “Notice of Adoption of Department of Energy Categorical Exclusions Under the National Environmental Policy Act” (Dec. 2, 2024)
Agricultural Marketing Service
89 FR 96126 Proposed Rule—Comment Period: “Marketing Order Regulating the Handling of Spearmint Oil Produced in the Far West; Revision of the Salable Quantity and Allotment Percentage for Class 3 (Native) Spearmint Oil for the 2024-2025 Marketing Year” (Dec. 4, 2024)
89 FR 95168 Notice—Comment Period: “Notice of Request for Extension of a Currently Approved Information Collection” (Dec. 2, 2024)
89 FR 95466 Proposed Rule: “Milk in the Northeast and Other Marketing Areas; Final Decision on Proposed Amendments to Marketing Agreements and Orders” (Dec. 2, 2024)
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
89 FR 94702 Comment Period: “Notice of Request for Approval of an Information Collection; Study of Human Behavior and Attitudes Linked to Human-Deer Transmission of SARS-CoV-2″ (Nov. 29, 2024)
Environmental Protection Agency
89 FR 97545 Rule: “Finding of Failure to Attain and Reclassification of an Area in Utah as Serious for the 2015 Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards” (Dec. 9, 2024)
89 FR 97577 Proposed Rule—Comment Period: “Receipt of a Pesticide Petition Filed for Residues of Pesticide Chemicals in or on Various Commodities (October 2024)” (Dec. 9, 2024)
89 FR 97543 Rule: “Air Plan Revisions; Arizona; Maricopa County Air Quality Department” (Dec. 9, 2024)
89 FR 97550 Rule—Comment Period: “Nebraska: Final Approval of State Underground Storage Tank Program Revisions, Codification, and Incorporation by Reference” (Dec. 9, 2024)
89 FR 97578 Proposed Rule—Comment Period: “Nebraska: Final Approval of State Underground Storage Tank Program Revisions, Codification, and Incorporation by Reference” (Dec. 9, 2024)
89 FR 96962 Notice—Comment Period: “Pesticide Product Registration; Receipt of Applications for New Uses (October 2024)” (Dec. 6, 2024)
89 FR 96961 Notice—Comment Period: “Pesticide Product Registration; Receipt of Applications for New Active Ingredients (October 2024)” (Dec. 6, 2024)
89 FR 96566 Rule—Comment Period: “Cyazofamid; Pesticide Tolerances” (Dec. 5, 2024)
89 FR 96650 Notice—Comment Period: “Atrazine; Updated Proposed Mitigation for the Interim Registration Review Decision; Notice of Availability and Request for Comment” (Dec. 5, 2024)
89 FR 96243 Notice: “National Drinking Water Advisory Council; Meeting” (Dec. 4, 2024)
89 FR 96103 Rule: “Air Plan Approval; California; Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District” (Dec. 4, 2024)
89 FR 95207 Notice—Comment Period: “Animal Agriculture and Water Quality Subcommittee (AAWQ), Subcommittee of the Farm, Ranch, and Rural Communities Committee (FRRCC) Notice of Public Meeting; Extension of Public Comment Period” (Dec. 2, 2024)
89 FR 95208 Notice—Comment Period: “Proposed Settlement Agreement, Federal Insecticide, Rodenticide, and Fungicide Act” (Dec. 2, 2024)
89 FR 94642 Notice—Comment Period: “Significant New Use Rules on Certain Chemical Substances (22-1.5e)” (Nov. 29, 2024)
89 FR 94635 Proposed Rule—Comment Period: “Significant New Use Rules on Certain Chemical Substances (24-1.F)’ (Nov. 29, 2024)
89 FR 94729 Notice: “Human Studies Review Board (HSRB) Meetings for 2025” (Nov. 29, 2024)
89 FR 95034 Rule: “Guideline on Air Quality Models; Enhancements to the AERMOD Dispersion Modeling System” (Nov. 29, 2024)
Federal Crop Insurance Corporation
89 FR 93463 Final Rule—Comment Period: “Flax Revenue and Expanded Unit Options for Crop Insurance” (Nov. 27, 2024)
Food and Nutrition Service
89 FR 96517 Final Rule: “Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): Employment and Training Program Monitoring, Oversight and Reporting Measures; Correction” (Dec. 5, 2024)
89 FR 95724 Proposed Rule—Comment Period: “Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: Thrifty Food Plan Cost Adjustment for the Price of Food in Hawaii” (Dec. 3, 2024)
Food Safety and Inspection Service
89 FR 96205 Comment Period: “Food Date Labeling” (Dec. 4, 2024)
Forest Service
89 FR 94703 Notice—Comment Period: “Information Collection; National Visitor Use Monitoring” (Nov. 29, 2024)
U.S. HOUSE AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE:
H.R.10325 “To require the Secretary of the Interior to carry out a program for post-disaster reforestation and restoration Program, and for other purposes.” Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. (Dec. 6, 2024)
H.R.10278 “To build on America’s spirit of service to nurture, promote, and expand a culture of service to secure the Nation’s future, address critical needs of the Nation, and strengthen the civic fabric of American society.” Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committees on Armed Services, Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, Natural Resources, Ways and Means, Oversight and Accountability, Veterans’ Affairs, Homeland Security, Intelligence (Permanent Select), House Administration, the Judiciary, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. (Dec. 3, 2024)
U.S. SENATE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, NUTRITION, AND FORESTRY:
No recent actions.
Agriculture-Related Legislative Hearings & Reports
No upcoming hearings or reports.
Contributors:
Audry Thompson—Staff Attorney
Riley Amdor—Research Assistant
Victoria Dutterer—Research Assistant
