HR 185Government Operations and Politics
Responsible Legislating Act This bill establishes or modifies various federal programs and requirements, including those related to retirement accounts, penalties for certain sex offenses, foreign investment and ownership, and appropriations. The bill makes changes to retirement account contributions and distributions, including increasing the maximum amount that may be contributed to a Roth Individual Retirement Account (IRA) to include certain contributions to a Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees (SIMPLE IRA) or Simplified Employee Pension (SEP) plan, subject to limitations. The bill establishes an enhanced penalty—an additional prison term of up to five years—for certain interstate human trafficking offenses or coercion of sexual activity that occurs in a school zone or related area. The Department of Commerce must report on efforts to increase foreign direct investment in semiconductor-related manufacturing and production. The Federal Maritime Commission must evaluate the effect of foreign ownership of marine terminals at the 15 largest U.S. container ports on U.S. economic security. The bill provides additional appropriations for the Departments of Health and Human Services, Agriculture, State, Defense, Homeland Security, and Energy. The bill extends mandatory livestock market reporting requirements through FY2025. The bill revises the required frequency of meetings held by a credit union's board of directors by decreasing the frequency for existing credit unions with satisfactory soundness ratings. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA's) enhanced-use leasing authority is reauthorized through 2033. The bill requires hearings on the bill's implementation within one year of the date of enactment.
Introduced Jan 3, 2025Updated Mar 14, 2025
Referred to the Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry.
HR 774Agriculture and Food
Protecting Agricultural Spaces Through Effective Ranching Strategies Act or the PASTURES Act This bill prohibits the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of the Interior from imposing penalties on livestock owners for grazing on certain public lands. Under the bill, covered lands are National Forest System lands, lands administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, or public lands (1) on which grazing is allowed by a permit or lease on or after the date of the bill's enactment and is then subsequently prohibited, and (2) that border private property. Specifically, the departments may not impose a penalty on an owner of livestock (including cattle, bison, horses, sheep, and goats) for grazing on covered lands that do not have a fence to prevent grazing. The bill specifies that USDA or Interior, depending on the covered land, is responsible for any expense related to the construction or maintenance of a fence for the prevention of grazing by livestock.
Introduced Jan 28, 2025Updated Feb 28, 2025
Referred to the Subcommittee on Forestry and Horticulture.
HR 690Agriculture and Food
This bill prohibits using federal funds to finalize, implement, administer, or enforce the proposed determination and proposed rule on Salmonella in raw poultry products. The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) proposed the rule and the determination in the proposed Salmonella Framework for Raw Poultry Products that was published on August 7, 2024. The FSIS's proposed determination declares raw chicken carcasses, chicken parts, ground chicken, and ground turkey products that contain certain types and levels of Salmonella as adulterated, thus prohibiting these products from entering commerce. The FSIS's proposed rule would revise the current regulations on how poultry slaughter establishments monitor and document microbial contamination throughout the slaughter and dressing operation. This includes new requirements for microbial monitoring programs, increased sampling and testing, and additional recordkeeping.
Introduced Jan 23, 2025Updated Feb 28, 2025
Referred to the Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry.
HR 441Agriculture and Food
Drought Assistance Improvement Act This bill modifies access to two Farm Service Agency (FSA) administered programs: the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) and the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP). The bill modifies the LFP to allow for one monthly payment when a county has four consecutive weeks of a D2 rating (severe drought) and two payments for eight consecutive weeks of D2. Currently, one payment is available for eight consecutive weeks of D2. As background, LFP makes payments to eligible livestock producers who have suffered grazing losses on drought-affected pastureland, including cropland planted specifically for grazing. The bill also expands coverage under ELAP for losses caused by adverse weather or drought. The bill includes under ELAP the loss of a crawfish harvest due to adverse weather or drought. As background, ELAP provides payments to producers of livestock, honey bees, and farm-raised fish as compensation for losses due to disease, adverse weather, feed or water shortages, or other conditions that are not covered under other programs. The FSA must establish ELAP documentation standards for (1) collecting data, (2) the production of crawfish, and (3) defining loss conditions due to drought.
Introduced Jan 15, 2025Updated Feb 14, 2025
Referred to the Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry.
HR 388Agriculture and Food
Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program Enhancement Act This bill requires the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to enter into a contract to evaluate the Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program. Under the program, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service works in coordination with the Texas Animal Health Commission to combat the spread of cattle fever ticks, which can spread a serious cattle disease called bovine babesiosis or cattle fever. Specifically, USDA must enter into a contract to review and report on the Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program with a (1) land-grant college or university, or (2) non-land-grant college of agriculture. The review must include an evaluation of the program's (1) effectiveness with respect to preventing and reducing the spread of tick-borne illnesses in cattle; and (2) benefits, and the burdens of compliance, to cattle producers. The review must also evaluate the treatment protocols developed and implemented under the program. Further, the review must evaluate the federal and state funds allocated to support the program for the most recent fiscal year.
Introduced Jan 14, 2025Updated Feb 14, 2025
Referred to the Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry.
HR 349Animals
Goldie's Act This bill expands enforcement provisions under the Animal Welfare Act (AWA). Specifically, the bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to document and record detailed descriptions of violations of the act observed during inspections and investigations. USDA must provide a copy of all records documenting violations to state, local, and municipal animal control or law enforcement officials within 24 hours of such inspections or investigations. Inspections must be held at least once a year of each research facility, the premises of each animal dealer, and each exhibitor of animals. If violations are found during inspections, then USDA must conduct any necessary follow-up inspections until all the violations are corrected. Inspectors must confiscate or destroy in a humane manner animals found to be suffering physical or psychological harm as a result of failure to comply with the AWA. Violators are subject to civil penalties as outlined in the bill.
Introduced Jan 13, 2025Updated Feb 14, 2025
Referred to the Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry.
HR 294Agriculture and Food
Dairy Farm Resiliency Act This bill updates the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program. As background, the DMC program was enacted in the 2018 farm bill to support dairy operations by allowing producers to buy a guaranteed margin for their milk production. The margin is the difference between the Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) national all milk price and a calculated feed cost, which provides producers optional risk protection on price and feed costs. The bill updates the current requirements that a participating dairy producer have an established milk production history with USDA's Farm Service Agency. Specifically, the bill requires that a dairy operation's production history for DMC be based on the most recent three-year history and be recalculated every five years. The bill also increases Tier I margin coverage for annual milk production to 6 million pounds or less (currently 5 million pounds or less) and Tier II margin coverage to over 6 million pounds (currently over 5 million pounds).
Introduced Jan 9, 2025Updated Feb 14, 2025
Referred to the Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities, Risk Management, and Credit.
HR 295Agriculture and Food
Fair Milk Pricing for Farmers Act This bill requires manufacturers to report production cost and product yield information for all dairy products processed in the same facility or facilities to the Department of Agriculture (USDA) Dairy Product Mandatory Reporting Program. Further, USDA must publish a report containing the information obtained under these new requirements and publish a report every two years thereafter. As background, under the Dairy Product Mandatory Reporting Program, USDA must collect certain dairy product sales information from manufacturers and release the data on a weekly basis.
Introduced Jan 9, 2025Updated Feb 14, 2025
Referred to the Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities, Risk Management, and Credit.