A comprehensive summary of today’s judicial, legislative, and regulatory developments in agriculture and food. Email important additions HERE.
ANNOUNCEMENT: Mark your calendar for the next Agricultural & Food Law Consortium webinar, Wednesday, May 2: Water Wars in the United States Supreme Court: Why Should Agriculture Care? Details available here.
LEGISLATIVE:
H.R. 5530: To amend the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to repeal desert terminal lakes assistance. Text is now available.
H.R. 5529: To provide for the transfer of certain Federal land in the State of Minnesota for the benefit of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. Text is now available.
S. Res. 473: A resolution expressing no confidence in the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and calling for the immediate resignation of the Administrator. Text is now available.
S. 2712: A bill to amend the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 to establish a farm and ranch stress assistance network. Referred to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
S. 2723: A bill to amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to require that supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits for children be calculated with reference to the cost of the low-cost food plan. Referred to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
S. 2713: A bill to limit the level of premium subsidy provided by the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation to agricultural producers. Referred to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
S. 2721: A bill to designate certain land in San Miguel, Ouray, and San Juan Counties, Colorado, as wilderness, to designate certain special management areas in the State of Colorado. Referred to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
S. 2720: A bill to codify the outer Continental Shelf blowout preventer systems and well control rule and the Arctic drilling rule. Referred to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
H.R. 3144: To provide for operations of the Federal Columbia River Power System pursuant to a certain operation plan for a specified period of time. Added to the House’s schedule for the coming week.
REGULATORY: Includes AMS, ARS, EPA, FWS, FAS, NASS, and NOAA rules and notices.
AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE: Rule AMS is adopting interim rule implementing a recommendation from the Citrus Administrative Committee to relax the minimum size requirements currently prescribed under the marketing order for oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, and pummelos grown in Florida and the grapefruit import regulation. Details here.
AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SERVICE: Notice ARS will grant to Koppert B.V. of The Netherlands, an exclusive license to U.S. Patent No. 9,642,372, “TRICHODERMA MICROSCLEROTIA AND METHODS OF MAKING”, issued on May 9, 2017. Info here.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY: Rule EPA is proposing to approve the State Implementation Plan (SIP) submittal from the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation demonstrating that the SIP meets certain interstate transport requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA) for the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) promulgated in 2010 for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and sulfur dioxide (SO2). Info here.
FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE: Notice FWS seeks comment on applications for permits to conduct activities intended to enhance the propagation or survival of endangered species. Details here.
FOREIGN AGRICULTURAL SERVICE: Notice USDA and the U.S. Department of State will host for the U.S. government the 2018 Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations Informal North American Regional Conference. Details here.
NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS SERVICE: Notice announces the intention of the National Agricultural Statistics Service to adjust the non-response follow-up methodology for the 2017 Census of Agriculture. Details here.
NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION:
Rule NMFS announces the 2018 recreational fishing seasons for the private angling and Federal charter vessel/headboat components for red snapper in the exclusive economic zone of the Gulf of Mexico through this temporary rule. Details here.
Notice the Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries, Greater Atlantic Region, NMFS, has made a preliminary determination that an Exempted Fishing Permit application contains the required information and warrants further consideration. Notice here.
Notice that permits or permit amendments have been issued to the following entities under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and the Endangered Species Act (ESA), as applicable. Details here.