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, June 20th: Cottage Food Laws: Adequately Addressing Food Safety and Economic Opportunity? Details available here.
LEGISLATIVE:
S. 2991: A bill to amend the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 to provide that cybersecurity and grid security improvements are eligible for electric loans and loan guarantees under that Act. Text is now available.
S. 2993: A bill to amend the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to include energy storage as renewable energy under the Rural Energy for America Program. Text is now available.
S. 2989: A bill to amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to encourage soil health. Text is now available.
S. 2997: A bill to amend the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to advance carbon utilization technologies. Text is now available.
H.R. 6008: To amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to withdraw the outer Continental Shelf in the Mid-Atlantic planning area from disposition. Text is now available.
H.R. 6007: To release certain Federal land in California from wilderness study. Text is now available.
H.R. 5996: To reauthorize and amend the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000. Text is now available.
H.R. 801: Route 66 National Historic Trail Designation Acte. Text for status Referred to Senate Committee (Jun 6, 2018) is now available.
H.R. 1026: North Country National Scenic Trail Route Adjustment Act. Text for status Placed on Calendar in the Senate (Jun 6, 2018) is now available.
H.R. 2991: Susquehanna National Heritage Area Act. Text for status Referred to Senate Committee (Jun 6, 2018) is now available.
H.R. 3997: Free Veterans from Fees Act. Text for status Referred to Senate Committee (Jun 6, 2018) is now available.
S. 2372: VA MISSION Act of 2018. Signed by President.
H.R. 5005: To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study to determine the suitability and feasibility of establishing the birthplace of James Weldon Johnson in Jacksonville, Florida, as a unit of the National Park System. Text for status Referred to Senate Committee (Jun 6, 2018) is now available.
H.R. 5655: Camp Nelson Heritage National Monument Act. Text for status Referred to Senate Committee (Jun 6, 2018) is now available.
S. 2857: National Nordic Museum Act. Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.
H.R. 3: Spending Cuts to Expired and Unnecessary Programs Act. Added to the House’s schedule for the coming week.
S. 2377: A bill to designate the Federal building and United States courthouse located at 200 West 2nd Street in Dayton, Ohio, as the “Walter H. Rice Federal Building and United States Courthouse”. Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
S. 2734: A bill to designate the Federal building and United States courthouse located at 1300 Victoria Street in Laredo, Texas, as the “George P. Kazen Federal Building and United States Courthouse”. Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
S. 3025: A bill to amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to prevent the illegal trafficking of supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits by requiring all program beneficiaries to show valid photo identification when purchasing items. Referred to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition.
S. 3024: An original bill making appropriations for military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019. Referred to the Senate Committee on Appropriations.
S. 3021: A bill to designate the United States courthouse located at 300 South Fourth Street in Minneapolis, Minnesota, as the “Diana E. Murphy United States Courthouse”. Referred to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.
3035: A bill to designate a mountain ridge in the State of Montana as “B-47 Ridge”. Referred to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources which will consider it before sending it to the Senate floor for consideration.
3030: A bill to allow tribal grant schools to participate in the Federal Employee Health Benefits program. Referred to the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs.
3034: A bill to amend the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to reauthorize the rural business investment program. Referred to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
H.R. 6045: To amend Public Law 87-788 (commonly known as the McIntire-Stennis Cooperative Forestry Act; 16 U.S.C. 582a-7) to provide for equal treatment of the District of Columbia with respect to funds made available under that Act. Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
H.R. 6038: To establish a procedure for the conveyance of certain Federal property around the Dickinson Reservoir in the State of North Dakota. Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources which will consider it before sending it to the House floor for consideration.
H.R. 6039: To establish a procedure for the conveyance of certain Federal property around the Jamestown Reservoir in the State of North Dakota. Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources which will consider it before sending it to the House floor for consideration.
H.R. 6041: To designate a mountain ridge in the State of Montana as “B-47 Ridge”. Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
H.R. 6030: To allow tribal grant schools to participate in the Federal Employee Health Benefits program. Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, House Committee on Natural Resources.
H.R. 6040: To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain land and facilities of the Central Valley Project. Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
REGULATORY: Includes USDA, EPA, FWS, FDA, NOAA and RUS rules and notices.
AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT:
Rule USDA is proposing revisions to its current regulations implementing the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Details here.
Rule this agenda provides summary descriptions of the significant and not significant regulatory and deregulatory actions being developed in agencies of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in conformance with Executive orders (E.O.) 12866 “Regulatory Planning and Review,” 13563, “Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review,” 13771 “Reducing Regulation and Controlling Regulatory Costs,” and 13777, “Enforcing the Regulatory Reform Agenda.” Info here.
Notice USDA has submitted the following information collection requirement(s) to OMB for review. Title: 7 CFR part 15 subpart D—Data Collection Requirements. Details here.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY:
Rule EPA is proposing action on revisions to the Maricopa County Air Quality Department portion of the state implementation plan (SIP) for the State of Arizona. Details here.
Rule the District of Columbia has applied to the United States Environmental Protection Agency for final authorization of revisions to its hazardous waste program under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Info here.
Rule EPA is proposing a significant new use rule for asbestos as defined under the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act. Details here.
FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE: Notice FWS are proposing to renew an information collection. Title: National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Check-In Permit and Use Report. Info here.
FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION: Notice FDA is announcing that a proposed collection of information has been submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review. Title: Veterinary Food Directive — OMB Control Number 0910-0363—Extension. Info here.
NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION:
Notice NMFS announces the receipt of an application for an exempted fishing permit (EFP) from Puerto Rico’s Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DNER). Info here.
Notice NMFS has received a request from Virginia Electric and Power Company d/b/a Dominion Energy Virginia (Dominion) for authorization to take marine mammals incidental to unexploded ordnance (UXO) investigation surveys off the coast of Virginia as part of site characterization surveys in the area of the Research Lease of Submerged Lands for Renewable Energy Development on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS-A 0497) (Lease Area) and coastal waters where a cable route corridor will be established. Details here.
RURAL UTILITIES SERVICE: Notice RUS invites comments on the following information collection for which RUS intends to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Info here.