Disaster Assistance Programs
Agricultural Law Weekly ReviewâJune 3, 2025
 National Agricultural Policy: House Ag Committee Publishes Draft Budget Resolution Plan đŸ
On May 12, 2025, the House Committee on Agriculture announced the publication of its draft text to accommodate the federal budget resolutionâs reconciliation directives (H. Con. Res. 14). Additionally, the committee published a section-by-section overview of the draft. For more detail on the billâs provisions, see Peggy Kirk Hall, House Farm Bill Reconciliation Summary Overview, Ohio St. Univ. Ext. Farm Off. Blog (May 27, 2025) and Kristine A. Tidgren, What Tax Provisions are in the Houseâs Big Beautiful Bill?, Iowa St. Univ. Ctr. [âŠ]
Agricultural Law Weekly ReviewâDecember 10, 2024
This Week:
- Understanding the Basics of Children, Minors & Farm Work, Fri. Dec. 13, 2024 @ noon ET
NEW:
- Farmland Energy Podcast: Dust Pollution in Rural Pennsylvania (Dec. 7, 2024)
Agricultural Labor: Two Federal Courts Block âTemporary Ag Workersâ Rule, Nationwide Stay Issued đŸ
On November 25, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi issued an order temporarily staying nationwide the U.S. Department of Laborâs (DOL) recent H-2A final rule, âImproving Protections for Workers in Temporary Agricultural Employment in the United Statesâ (89 FR 33898). Intâl Fresh Produce Assoc. v. U.S. [âŠ]
Agricultural Law Weekly ReviewâSeptember 16, 2024
This Week:
- Right to Repair and Agriculture, Center Director Ross Pifer presents with the National Agricultural Law Center, Online Wed. Sep. 18, 2024
- 2024 Pennsylvania Agricultural Law Symposium, In-person Thurs. Sep. 19, 2024
International Trade: Chile Approves Agreement on U.S. Meat and Cheese Imports, Terminology đŸ
On September 3, 2024, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) announced that the National Congress of Chile had approved an agreement âregarding market access to Chile for a number of U.S. cheese and meat products and how Chile will treat prior users of certain terms for cheeses.â Previously, in June [âŠ]
Agricultural Law Weekly ReviewâDecember 15, 2023
Antitrust: Federal Jury Finds Egg Producers Liable for Price-Fixing and Conspiracy, Damages Awarded đŸ
On November 21, 2023, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois entered a minute entry of a jury verdict finding the defendant egg producers liable in an antitrust case alleging that numerous egg producersâincluding United Egg Producers, Inc., United States Egg Marketers, Inc., and Cal-Maine Foodsââunlawfully agreed to and did implement their conspiracy to control supply and artificially maintain and increase the price of eggs through a series of collective actions.â Kraft Foods Global v. United Egg Producers, No. 1:11-cv-08808. The case [âŠ]
Agricultural Law Weekly ReviewâDecember 4, 2023
International Trade: Panel Report Finds Canadaâs Dairy Tariff-Rate Quotas âNot Inconsistentâ with USMCA đŸ
On November 10, 2023, the dispute settlement panel formed under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) published its final report concerning Canadaâs dairy tariff-rate quota (TRQ) allocation measures. Also announced by the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), the report concluded that âCanadaâs measures are not inconsistent with the USMCA provisions cited by the United States.â However, â[a] dissenting panelist agreed with the United States that by excluding retailers and others, Canada was breaching its commitment to make its dairy TRQs available to all applicants active in the [âŠ]
Agricultural Law Weekly ReviewâNovember 6, 2023
Agricultural Labor: National Labor Relations Board Publishes Final Rule for New Joint Employer Status Test đŸ
On October 27, 2023, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) published in the Federal Register a final rule titled âStandards for Determining Joint Employer Statusâ (88 FR 73946), which replaces the previous 2020 rule (85 FR 11184). Also announced by NLRB, the final rule establishes that âan entity may be considered a joint employer of another employerâs employees if the two share or codetermine the employeesâ essential terms and conditions of employment,â which the rule defines using seven categories: 1) âwages, benefits, [âŠ]
Agricultural Law Weekly ReviewâOctober 2, 2023
National Agricultural Policy: GAO Decision Finds USDAâs Use of Commodity Credit Corporation Funds Lawful đŸ
On September 20, 2023, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a decision concluding that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) âdid not violate the [Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC)] Charter Act or the Antideficiency Act when it used CCC funds for programs that were not specifically included in its [FY 2021] budget submission to Congressâ because the âGovernment Corporation Control Act (GCCA) does not require corporations to delineate specific programs in their budget submissions prior to carrying them out.â Additionally, the GAO decision found that [âŠ]
Agricultural Law Weekly ReviewâSeptember 4, 2023
WOTUS: EPA and Army Issue âWaters of the United Statesâ Pre-Publication Final Rule đŸ
On August 29, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), with the U.S. Department of the Army, announced that the agencies had released a pre-publication final rule and regulatory text changes to amend the definition of âWaters of the United Statesâ (WOTUS) in accordance with Sackett v. EPA. According to an accompanying fact sheet released by the agencies, the final rule omits âinterstate wetlandsâ from the âinterstate watersâ jurisdictional language and âwetlands and streamsâ from the âadditional watersâ jurisdictional language; removes the [âŠ]
Agricultural Law Weekly ReviewâAugust 21, 2023
Local Food: PA Department of Agriculture Seeks Comments on Plans for USDA Funding from Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program đŸ
On August 15, 2023, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) released a public request for comment on the agencyâs proposed priorities for its cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Agricultureâs (USDA) Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program, through which PDA anticipates it will receive approximately $26.5 million. PDA issued the following statement: âThe Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture is seeking public comments to ensure that the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program best meets the current needs of Pennsylvaniaâs agricultural supply [âŠ]
Agricultural Law Weekly ReviewâAugust 14, 2023
Animal Welfare: Massachusetts to Develop Rule, Will Delay Enforcement for Question 3 âTransshipped Porkâ đŸ
On August 7, 2023, the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts entered an electronic order granting a joint stipulation and motion to extend stay for six months in a case filed in August 2022 challenging Massachusetts Question 3, which prohibits the in-state sale of pork not compliant with the stateâs animal confinement standards. Massachusetts Restaurant Assoc. v. Healey, No. 4:22-cv-11245. According to the joint stipulation, the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) will propose regulations to address âtransshipped whole pork meat,â out-of-state [âŠ]
