October 23, 2023

Agricultural Law Weekly Review—October 23, 2023

Ag-Gag Statutes: Supreme Court Denies Petition to Decide Whether First Amendment Protects ‘Newsgathering Activities’ in Non-Public Farm Areas 🌾
On October 16, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court denied a petition for a writ of certiorari for a case seeking reversal of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit’s decision upholding parts of North Carolina’s Property Protection Act—but enjoining enforcement of the act for “newsgathering activities.” Stein v. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Inc., No. 22-1150 (U.S.); PETA v. NC Farm Bureau, No. 20-1776 (4th Cir.). The Fourth Circuit’s opinion, which held that recording audio or video in non-public farm areas is a protected newsgathering activity under the First Amendment, now remains law. See also ALWR—Mar. 13, 2023, “Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals Finds Parts of North Carolina’s Property Protection Act Unconstitutional.” For more on Ag-Gag laws, see the Center’s Ag-Gag Statutes Issue Tracker.

Dairy Policy: Federal Milk Marketing Hearing Paused Until November 27, 2023
As of October 11, 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has updated its National Federal Milk Marketing Order [FMMO] Pricing Formula Hearing webpage to announce that the current FMMO hearing, begun on August 23, 2023, has recessed until November 27, 2023. Once re-started in November, AMS states that the hearing will be held on weekdays from 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. at the 502 Event Center in Carmel, Indiana. According to the webpage, “[I]f the hearing is not completed by December 1, the hearing will reconvene at the Palomino Ballroom . . . [in] Zionsville, Indiana.” For more on dairy regulations, see the Center’s Dairy and Dairy Products Law Virtual Resource Room.

Dairy Policy: USDA Extends Milk Loss Program Application Deadline Until October 30, 2023
On October 13, 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced that agency has extended the deadline for Milk Loss Program applications from October 16, 2023, until October 30, 2023. According to the announcement, eligible causes of milk loss include the effects of qualifying weather events, “such as power outages, impassable roads and infrastructure losses.” For more on dairy risk management, see materials from the October 2023 Quarterly Dairy Legal Webinar: Risk Management/Income & Revenue Protection.

Pesticides: EPA Seeks Stakeholder Input on FIFRA Regulations for Treated Seeds and Paint
On October 12, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published in the Federal Register an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) (88 FR 70625) seeking public comment regarding seeds and paint treated with pesticides registered under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). According to the ANPR, EPA is considering the necessity of administrative action or a FIFRA rule to address stakeholder concerns. The agency seeks input on “the use and usage of treated seed, including storage, planting, and disposal of the treated seed, and on whether or to what extent treated seed products are being distributed, sold, and used contrary to treating pesticide and treated seed product labeling instructions” as well as labeling language and requirements for treated paint. The comment period is open until December 11, 2023. For more on pesticides, see materials from Understanding the Basics of Pesticides.

Agricultural Labor: California Enacts SB 831, Establishes Agricultural Worker Parole Program
On October 8, 2023, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill No. 831 authorizing the Governor to collaborate with the U.S. Attorney General (U.S. AG) to grant parole to agricultural employees in California. The law utilizes the U.S. AG’s authority under the Immigration and Nationality Act to grant parole on a case-by-case basis to otherwise ineligible aliens for “urgent humanitarian reasons” or “significant public benefit,” citing California’s “critical need” for agricultural labor and “economic harm . . . from the uncertainty surrounding the immigration status of the state’s agricultural employee workforce.” The law requires the Governor to prepare and submit a report to the state legislature detailing the program’s impacts in its third year of implementation.

Agribusiness: Arkansas Attorney General Orders Land Divestment, Issues Penalty for ChemChina Syngenta Subsidiary
On October 17, 2023, the Attorney General (AG) of Arkansas published a letter to Northrup King Seed Co. and its parent company, Syngenta Seeds, LLC—owned by the Chinese state-owned China National Chemical Corporation (ChemChina)—informing the companies that their ownership of 160 acres in Craighead County, Arkansas is by a “prohibited foreign-party-controlled business” in violation of Act 636 of 2023 (SB 383) and ordering the companies to divest the land within two years. Also announced by the AG’s office, the letter additionally imposes a $280,000 civil penalty on the companies, due in 30 days. According to the announcement, the civil penalty “represents 25% of the reported fair market value of the property [$1,120,000], the maximum civil penalty allowed by law.”

Air Quality: Grain Company Officials Convicted of Fraud, Obstruction of Justice for Falsifying Cleaning Log After Mill Fire Kills Five
On October 17, 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that a federal jury had convicted Didion Milling Inc.’s Vice President of Operations, Derrick Clark, and Food Safety Superintendent, Shawn Mesner, of “workplace safety, environmental, fraud and obstruction of justice charges.” According to the announcement, a 2017 explosion at the grain mill that killed five workers prompted an investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), during which “Clark gave false and misleading testimony about his knowledge of problems with the dust collection system . . . explosion hazards and . . . prior fires at the facility.” DOJ stated that the defendants “conspir[ed] to falsify th[e] cleaning log, including directing others to backfill entries for uncompleted cleanings” in violation of Clean Air Act compliance regulations. In September 2023, the company pled guilty to several criminal charges and agreed to pay $1 million in criminal fines and $10.25 million in victim restitution.

Antitrust: Raeford and Koch Agree to $75 Million Settlement in Poultry Class Action Antitrust Litigation
On October 13, 2023, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois entered a minute entry granting the Direct Purchaser Plaintiffs’ (DPPs) motion for preliminary approval of the $75 million settlement agreement with the House of Raeford Farms, Inc. (Raeford) and Koch defendants in the consolidated class-action case In re Broiler Chicken Antitrust Litigation, No. 1:16-cv-08637. The motion was granted after the DPPs, on October 6, 2023, concurrently filed a motion for preliminary approval and memorandum of support of the settlement. According to the memorandum, the settlement funds will be used to reimburse litigation expenses, pay Certified Class members, and pay service awards to DPP Class Representatives. Under the agreement, Raeford will pay $27.5 million and Koch will pay $47.5 million, bringing the total recovery in the class-action case to over $284 million. For more, see the Center’s In re Broiler Chicken Antitrust Litigation Issue Tracker. 

Animal Welfare: Iowa and 12 States File Amicus Brief in Massachusetts Question 3 Challenge
On October 10, 2023, Iowa and twelve other states filed a motion and amicus curiae brief in a case challenging Massachusetts’ Question 3, which prohibits the in-state sale of pork not compliant with the state’s confinement standards. Triumph Foods, LLC v. Campbell, No. 1:23-cv-11671. The case has moved forward after, on October 2, 2023, the court entered a text order dismissing the plaintiffs’ commerce clause claim but allowing all other claims to proceed, including claims that the law is preempted by the Federal Meat Inspection Act and the Packers and Stockyards Act and violates the Privileges and Immunities, Due Process, Import-Export, and Full Faith and Credit Clauses of the U.S. Constitution. Iowa argues in its amicus brief that the law “sets the stage for states’ racing to the bottom”; will harm producers and consumers; and violates the Import-Export and Full Faith and Credit Clauses. See also ALWR—Aug. 7, 2023, “Midwest Pork Companies Claim Mass. Question 3 Preempted by Federal Law.” For more, see the Center’s Animal Confinement Issue Tracker.

Food Safety: USDA Announces Changes to Raw Pork Products Sampling Program
On October 11, 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a notice stating that “sampling under the Raw Pork Products Sampling Program will continue with several changes,” including “reducing the total number of sampling tasks assigned to establishments, clarifying the description of primal and subprimal cuts and finished products, describing that [inspection program personnel] IPP are to verify the intended use of raw pork products in the Public Health Information System (PHIS), and clarifying instructions to IPP when the total weight of cut products is greater than 2 lbs.” FSIS states that “data from th[e] samples will be used for policy development.”

Agribusiness: Tyson Announces Share Purchase of Insect Ingredient Company, Plans to Build Insect Ingredient Facility
On October 17, 2023, Tyson Foods, Inc. announced that the company will purchase a minority stake in Protix, a Netherlands-based insect ingredients company. According to the announcement, the companies plan to build and operate an insect ingredient plant “in the continental United States” that “will house an enclosed system to support all aspects of insect protein production including the breeding, incubating, and hatching of insect larvae.” Tyson states that the plant “will be the first at-scale facility of its kind to upcycle food manufacturing byproducts into high-quality insect proteins and lipids which will primarily be used in the pet food, aquaculture, and livestock industries.” The announcement does not specify a timeline for the plant’s construction.

Agribusiness: Prima Wawana Files for Bankruptcy, Announces Ownership Transition
On October 13, 2023, MVK FarmCo, LLC, parent company of California-based stone fruit company Prima Wawona, filed a voluntary petition for bankruptcy in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. MVK FarmCo LLC, No. 23-11721. According to a concurrent announcement from Prima Wawona, the company has instituted the bankruptcy proceeding to assist in “transitioning ownership . . . and recapitalizing the business.” Prima Wawona states that the “transaction . . . will involve either the conversion of existing lender debt into equity ownership of the business or allow for a sale transaction to a third-party buyer” and expects that the company will continue operations during the ownership transition. The firm Stretto is administering Prima Wawona’s bankruptcy proceedings.

Environmental Policy: DOJ Releases Environmental Justice Enforcement Strategy Report
On October 13, 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ) published its Comprehensive Environmental Justice Enforcement Strategy Annual Report. Also announced by DOJ, the report studied the progress made after implementation of the Comprehensive Environmental Justice Enforcement Strategy, which DOJ announced on May 5, 2022. According to the report, DOJ’s accomplishments include obtaining a court-appointed manager to “begin to stabilize the Jackson, Mississippi drinking water system”; securing a $3.25 million civil penalty against DCP Operating Company LP to “strengthen leak detection and repair practices at eight natural gas processing plants in Weld County, Colorado”; and negotiating an interim resolution with the Alabama Department of Public Health and Lowndes County Health Department to create “equitable and safe wastewater disposal and management systems in Lowndes County.”

Conservation Programs: USDA Pays $1.77 Billion+ in Conservation Reserve Payments for 2023
On October 16, 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that the department has paid more than $1.77 billion in Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) payments so far in 2023. According to the announcement, the top five states receiving CRP funds are Iowa—$402,508,900; Illinois—$172,723,800; Minnesota—$150,773,400; South Dakota—$129,545,200; and Missouri—$99,849,600.

Water Quality: EPA Grants $9.6 Million for 10 Chesapeake Bay Projects
On October 16, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $9.6 million for Nutrient and Sediment Reduction Programs in the Chesapeake Bay. The funds will provide matching grants to the following ten program recipients in Chesapeake Bay states:

  • Upper Mattaponi Indian Tribe, “Reclaiming and Restoring Parts of the Upper Mattaponi Indian Tribe’s Ancestral Lands and Watershed” (VA)
    • Grant—$1,000,000; Match—$0; Total Project—$1,000,000
  • Backyard Basecamp, “Implementing Nature-Based Stormwater Solutions and Enhancing Stream Daylighting to Build Resilience in Underserved Communities” (MD)
    • Grant—$984,900; Match—$52,000; Total Project—$1,036,800
  • Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, “Utilizing State and Local Partnerships to Accelerate the Implementation and Restoration of Riparian Forest Buffers” (MD, PA)
    • Grant—$646,800; Match—$647,000; Total Project—$1,293,800
  • The Pennsylvania State University, “Enhancing Partnerships to Accelerate Watershed Conservation Implementation in the Lower Susquehanna” (PA)
    • Grant—$1,000,000; Match—$1,000,000; Total Project—$2,000,000
  • Tioga County Soil and Water Conservation District of New York, “Utilizing the Upper Susquehanna Coalition’s Water Quality Program to Support Chesapeake Bay Watershed Restoration Across State Lines” (NY, PA)
    • Grant—$1,000,000; Match—$1,000,000; Total Project—$2,000,000
  • Maryland Association of Soil Conservation Districts, “Collaborating to Accelerate the Implementation of Nature-Based Structural Practices in the Delmarva Peninsula,” (DE, MD)
    • Grant—$983,500; Match—$1,087,500; Total Project—$2,071,000
  • Delmarva Poultry Industry, “Creating Cost-Share Programs to Accelerate the Adoption of Sustainable and Resilient Chicken Farming Practices in the Delmarva Peninsula” (DE, MD, VA)
    • Grant—$997,300; Match—$1,009,000; Total Project—$2,006,300
  • Stroud Water Research Center, “Advancing Forest Buffer Capacity and Implementation Throughout Pennsylvania’s Chesapeake Bay Watershed” (PA)
    • Grant—$1,000,000; Match—$1,141,600; Total Project—$2,141,600
  • Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, “Partnering with Perdue to Incentivize the Implementation of Priority Conservation Practices on Farms” (PA)
    • Grant—$1,000,000; Match—$1,481,900; Total Project—$2,481,900
  • The Nature Conservancy, “Utilizing the Delmarva Wetland Partnership to Address Barriers Inhibiting Wetland Restoration” (DE, MD, PA)
    • Grant—$997,600; Match—$2,018,200; Total Project—$3,015,800

 

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CENTER PROGRAMS & RESOURCES

Podcasts:

Agricultural Law Podcast

248. EPA Reveals Plan to Reform CAFO Regulation under the Clean Water Act (Oct. 17, 2023)

247. Environmental Organizations Sue EPA for Refusal to Expand CAFO Regulation (Oct. 10, 2023)

246. EPA’s Revised WOTUS Rule Conforming to Sackett (Sept. 25, 2023)

Farmland Legal Energy Podcast

159. An Introduction to Hydrogen and Agriculture (Oct. 10, 2023)

158. An Introduction to Anaerobic Digestion (Sept. 26, 2023)

Events:

Medicaid Look-back Ag Professional Continued Education Program with PA Farm Link

  • Wed. Oct. 25, 2023, 1:00–3:00pm (ET). Virtual and in-person at the Sheraton Harrisburg Hershey Hotel. Two hours of substantive CLE credit available for Pennsylvania-licensed attorneys at no cost to attendees. Presenter: MacGregor Brillhart, attorney at Stock & Leader.

ACRE Law 101: Agriculture, Stormwater, and Local Regulations with PA Agricultural Ombudsman Program

  • Thurs. Oct. 26, 10:30am–1:30pm (ET). In-person at Loyalsock Twp Volunteer Fire in Williamsport, PA. CLE and PDH Engineering credits available, lunch provided. Presenter: Robert Willig, Senior Deputy Attorney General for PA Office of the Attorney General.

Understanding Agricultural Law Series. A free monthly Zoom webinar series for all agricultural and rural business advisors. One hour of substantive CLE credit available for Pennsylvania-licensed attorneys at no charge. Recordings and materials from the series, more information, and registration available here. Upcoming:

Where Will Pennsylvania’s Solar Future Be Located and How Will It Get There?

  • Wed. Oct. 25, 2023, 1:00–2:00pm (ET), Virtual. Staff attorney Brook Duer will present with WeConservePA.

Legal Considerations for Retail Farmers Market Part 2

  • Tues. Oct. 31, 2023, noon–1 pm (ET), Virtual. Staff Attorney Brook Duer will present with the Small Business Development Center.

Keystone Crops and Soils Conference

  • Nov. 2, 2023. In person at the Grantville Holiday Inn. Staff Attorney Brook Duer will present “PA Fertilizer Law—What You Need to Know to be Compliant” at 2:00pm.

Making Laws Work for You, Part 1: Ag Security Areas, Farmland Preservation, and Clean & Green

  • Mon. Nov. 6, 2023, noon–1:30pm (ET). Virtual. Staff attorney Brook Duer will present with the Small Business Development Center.

Making Laws Work for You, Part 2: Right to Farm, ACRE, and the Agritourism Activity Protection Act

  • Mon. Dec. 11, 2023, noon–1:30pm (ET). Virtual. Staff attorney Brook Duer will present with the Small Business Development Center.

2023 Annual Agricultural and Environmental Law Conference

  • Nov. 16, 2023. In-person at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Annapolis. Staff Attorney Brook Duer will present “HPAI: How Can We Miss You, If You Won’t Go Away?” at 12:45pm.

Resources of Interest:

Ohio St. Univ. Ext. Farm Off. Blog, Ohio State University to Provide Resolution Services for Ohio Farms, Robert Moore (Oct. 13, 2023)

Southern Ag Today, Demystifying Patronage Refunds, Phil Kenkel (Oct. 13, 2023)

Tex. A&M Agric. Law Blog, October 13, 2023 Weekly Round Up, Tiffany Dowell Lashmet (Oct. 13, 2023)

Nat’l Agric. Law Ctr., EPA Draft Herbicide Strategy Open for Comment, Brigit Rollins (Oct. 12, 2023)

Southern Ag Today, Reference Prices: Setting the Record Straight, Bart Fischer (Oct. 12, 2023)

Ohio St. Univ. Ext. Farm Off. Blog, Is AI Ready to Draft Your Farm Lease?, Robert Moore (Oct. 10, 2023)

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FEDERAL ACTIONS—EXECUTIVE & LEGISLATIVE

U.S DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (USDA) PRESS RELEASES

USDA Assists Farmers, Ranchers, and Communities Affected by Montana Floods (Oct. 13, 2023)

USDA Invests in Bison Purchase Pilot Incorporating Indian Country Bison for Tribal Feeding Programs (Oct. 12, 2023)

USDA Makes Available More Than $60 Million in School Meals, Launches New Partnership (Oct. 11, 2023)

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA) PRESS RELEASES

Biden-Harris Administration Selects Pennsylvania State University Hershey Medical Center to Receive $1.19M Pollution Prevention Grant to Advance Environmental Justice (Oct. 12, 2023)

Biden-Harris Administration Selects District of Columbia Department of Energy and Environment to Receive a $500,000 Pollution Prevention Grant to Advance Environmental Justice (Oct. 12, 2023)

EPA Honors Home Builders and Raters for Providing Healthier Indoor Air (Oct. 12, 2023)

EPA penalizes Idaho company for spraying pesticide near burial service (Oct. 11, 2023)

Hill Brothers to Pay Penalty, Improve Safety to Resolve Claims of Clean Air Act Violations at California and Arizona Facilities (Oct. 10, 2023)

USDA AGENCY PRESS RELEASES:

Economic Research Service (ERS)

Feed Grains Database (Oct. 13, 2023)

Meat Price Spreads (Oct. 12, 2023)

WASDE Report (Oct. 12, 2023)

Three USDA Rural Broadband Programs: Areas and Populations Served (Oct. 12, 2023)

U.S. Agricultural Trade Data Update (Oct. 10, 2023)

Farm Services Agency (FSA)

USDA Extends Milk Loss Program Assistance Deadline to Oct. 30 (Oct. 13, 2023)

Food and Nutrition Service (FNS)

USDA Lifts Up School Meals Successes in Celebration of National School Lunch Week, Farm to School Month (Oct. 13, 2023)

Food and Nutrition Service Invests in SNAP Integrity and Modernization (Oct. 12, 2023)

USDA Invests in Bison Purchase Pilot Incorporating Indian Country Bison for Tribal Feeding Programs (Oct. 12, 2023)

USDA Makes Available More Than $60 Million in School Meals, Launches New Partnership (Oct. 11, 2023)

Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)

Constituent Update – October 13, 2023 (Oct. 13, 2023)

Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS)

McGovern Dole Food for Education Program – FY 2022 Report to Congress (Oct. 10, 2023)

National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS)

US corn and soybean production down from September (Oct. 10, 2023)

National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)

NIFA Invests $1.8 Million in Pest Management Alternatives (Oct. 11, 2023)

NIFA Invests Over $25 Million in Emergency Citrus Disease Research and Extension (Oct. 10, 2023)

Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)

NRCS Announces Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Funding Through CSP and EQIP (Oct. 13, 2023)

Wetland Restoration Applications Being Accepted to Improve the Great Lakes Basin (Oct. 12, 2023)

Application deadline for USDA-NRCS Fiscal Year 2024 Farm Bill and Inflation Reduction Act – Agricultural Conservation Easement Program funding set for November 13, 2023. (Oct. 11, 2023)

FEDERAL EXECUTIVE AGENCIES (Federal Register Oct. 9–13, 2023):   

Agriculture Department

88 FR 70579 Rule: “Delegations of Authority [USDA’s Controlled Unclassified Information Program]” (Oct. 12, 2023)

Agricultural Marketing Service

88 FR 70608 Proposed Rule—Comment Period: “Dried Prunes Produced in California; Suspension of the Marketing Order” (Oct. 12, 2023)

88 FR 70379 Proposed Rule—Comment Period: “U.S. Grade Standards for Pecans in the Shell and Shelled Pecans” (Oct. 11, 2023)

88 FR 69895 Notice—Comment Period: “Notice of Request for Extension and Revision of a Currently Approved Information Collection” (Oct. 10, 2023)

88 FR 69896 Notice—Comment Period: “Notice of Request for Extension and Revision of a Currently Approved Information Collection” (Oct. 10, 2023)

88 FR 69873 Rule: “Olives Grown in California; Increased Assessment Rate” (Oct. 10, 2023)

88 FR 69876 Rule: “Sweet Onions Grown in the Walla Walla Valley of Southeast Washington and Northeast Oregon; Increased Assessment Rate” (Oct. 10, 2023)

88 FR 69888 Proposed Rule—Comment Period: “Pears Grown in Oregon and Washington; Amendment to the Marketing Order” (Oct. 10, 2023)

Environmental Protection Agency

88 FR 70977 Notice: “CGI Federal, Inc. and Zachary Piper, LLC; Transfer of Data September 2023 [Office of Pesticide Programs]” (Oct. 13, 2023)

88 FR 70625 Proposed Rule—Comment Period: “Pesticides; Review of Requirements Applicable to Treated Seed and Treated Paint Products; Request for Information and Comments” (Oct. 12, 2023)

88 FR 70616 Proposed Rule—Comment Period: “Revisions to the Air Emissions Reporting Requirements” (Oct. 12, 2023)

88 FR 70595 Rule: “Reference Measurement Principle and Calibration Procedure for the Measurement of Ozone in the Atmosphere (Chemiluminescence Method)” (Oct. 12, 2023)

88 FR 70602 Rule: “Reformulated Gasoline Covered Areas” (Oct. 12, 2023)

88 FR 70516 Rule: “Toxic Substances Control Act Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements for Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances” (Oct. 11, 2023)

Food Safety and Inspection Service

88 FR 69897 Notice—Comment Period: “Notice of Request for Renewal of an Approved Information Collection: Salmonella Initiative Program” (Oct. 10, 2023)

88 FR 69898 Notice—Comment Period: “Notice of Request for New Information Collection: Small and Very Small Establishment Outreach Survey” (Oct. 10, 2023)

Forest Service

88 FR 70920 Notice: “Proposed New Recreation Fee Sites; Correction” (Oct. 13, 2023)

88 FR 70608 Notice—Comment Period: “Information Collection; Interagency Generic Clearance for Federal Land Management Agencies Collaborative Visitor Surveys on Recreation and Transportation Related Programs and Systems” (Oct. 12, 2023)

U.S. HOUSE AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE:

H.R.5760 “Climate Resilience Workforce Act” Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit. (Oct. 10, 2023)

U.S. SENATE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, NUTRITION, AND FORESTRY:

No new actions.

STATE ACTIONS—EXECUTIVE & LEGISLATIVE 

PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE PRESS RELEASES:

Pennsylvania Invests $3.5 Million To Ensure 18 Farms, 1,336 Acres In 13 Counties Will Be Farms Forever (Oct. 12, 2023)

PENNSYLVANIA EXECUTIVE AGENCIES (Pa. Bulletin Vol. 53, No. 41—Oct. 14, 2023): 

Department of Agriculture

53 Pa.B. 6472 Notice: “The Emergency Food Assistance Program Reach and Resiliency Grant; Round Two 2023-2024 Application Period”

Department of Environmental Protection

53 Pa.B. 6475 Notice: “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”

53 Pa.B. 6529 Notice: “Availability of Competitive Grants through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act; Pennsylvania Grid Resilience Grants Program”

53 Pa.B. 6530 Notice: “Availability of Fiscal-Year Report for the Reclamation Fee O & M Trust Account”

Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

53 Pa.B. 6474 Notice: “Governor’s Advisory Council for Hunting, Fishing and Conservation Public Meeting”

Department of Transportation

53 Pa.B. 6547 Notice: “Application for Disposing of Excess Land”

53 Pa.B. 6547 Notice: “State Transportation Advisory Committee Meeting”

PENNSYLVANIA LEGISLATURE

HB 1209 “An Act amending the act of December 30, 2003 (P.L.441, No.64), known as the Tobacco Product Manufacturer Directory Act, in preliminary provisions, further providing for definitions; in tobacco product manufacturers directory, further providing for directory, for certification, for required information, for agent for service of process and for records and reporting and providing for nonparticipating manufacturer and importer joint and several liability and for surety bond requirements; and imposing duties on the Office of Attorney General.” Act No. 11 of 2023 (Oct. 11, 2023)

 

Contributors:
Victoria Dutterer—Research Assistant
Avery McLean—Research Assistant
Lonzie Helms—Research Assistant
Audry Thompson—Staff Attorney