Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Agriculture advanced a Farm Bill by a bipartisan vote of 33-21. Four committee Democrat—Reps. Don Davis (N.C.), Sanford Bishop (Ga.), Eric Sorensen (Ill.) and Yadira Caraveo (Colo.)—joined Republicans. NAAA-advocated regulatory relief provisions were included in the legislation, such as language ensuring that EPA and pesticide enforcement state lead agencies have the exclusive role in regulating pesticides and not a hodge-podge of local jurisdictions without scientific expertise that may make pesticide use rules based on emotion that unnecessarily handicaps agricultural production and burdens farmers and small business pesticide application businesses. The bill also included an amendment introduced by U.S. Representative David Rouzer (R-NC) “eliminating any duplicative permitting processes for the use of FIFRA approved pesticides while maintaining public health and environmental protections.” The amendment would legally take on the unnecessary and burdensome NPDES pesticide general permit (PGP) that a federal court mandated EPA require for pesticide applications made over or near water back in 2009. The NPDES PGP has resulted in an unnecessary paperwork burden and jeopardized additional legal liability for farmers and commercial pesticide applicators for well over a decade. 

 

NAAA has also advocated support for aerial application technology research funding conducted by the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service be included in the House’s report that is included as part of the Farm Bill, in addition to language ensuring compliance with tower-marking for entities receiving federal grants associated with the construction of rural broadband or renewable energy towers. The House report has yet to be released publicly.

 

The Sustainable Aviation Fuel Coalition also lauded the bill by stating “The Committee’s affirmation of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) as an advanced biofuel in the farm bill will make SAF eligible for important [USDA] programs and help to develop a critical new market for crops and agricultural waste streams.” Feedstuff crops, such as soybeans used to make SAF could markedly increase in acreage if the SAF market grows as predicted.

 

The new Farm Bill’s path forward is uncertain as the already-extended Sept. 30 deadline nears. Senate Ag Chair Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) said in a statement after the House markup that she’s “glad” the process is moving forward, but reiterated her disdain for the House bill’s policy proposals. Stabenow stated, “Despite areas of common ground, it is now clear that key parts of the House bill split the Farm Bill coalition in a way that makes it impossible to achieve the votes to become law. And it is also clear that we do not have time to waste on proposals that cannot meet that goal.” NAAA will keep members informed of the Farm Bill process as events happen.