June 13, 2024

Senate GOP Farm Bill Framework

On Tuesday, Senate Republicans released their framework of the Farm Bill. Ranking Member John Boozman’s (R-AR) release highlighted the significant changes across the industry since the last iteration, which passed in 2018. While there are a number of similarities with their House Republican version, it does appear Sen. Boozman’s team is hoping to draw more funding from correcting overpayments issued via the SNAP program. They estimate nearly 10% of all current benefits are overpayments. Correcting even half of that could potentially raise roughly $60 billion over the next 10 years.

Democratic counterparts in both the House and Senate were less receptive to the framework though. House Democrats warned against the changes to the Thrifty Food Plan and SNAP, while Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) also added on her concern that the proposal lacks enough funding to cover the prospective costs. The Senate is still not expected to move legislatively on the Farm Bill over the summer, although Sen. Stabenow did strike a bipartisan tone in trying to get the two sides closer together on a compromise bill. For the time being, a one-year extension appears to be the most likely path forward for this Congress. In any case, CAFB and other ag groups continue to push for action.

Reminder: Look into Your Corporate Transparency Act Obligations

Late last year, we had an article in our newsletter on the approaching enforcement for the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA). Passed originally in 2021 as an amendment in a broader bill, the CTA will require roughly 30 million US businesses to file “beneficial ownership information” reports (BOIRs) by January 1, 2025. These reports must include the personal information of any individual that owns or exerts control of at least 25% of a business. While there are some exclusions for larger companies with at least 20 or more full-time employees (and other exemptions), all businesses are encouraged to examine closely to see they qualify for an exemption, especially since many factors must be considered.

The US Treasury Department is hopeful the CTA will help root out fraud and other financial crimes; however, many small business groups are concerned about providing such information. American Farm Bureau Federation offered a brief in support of the National Small Business Association, which successfully received an injunction in a federal district court recently to halt its implementation. Unfortunately, this only applies to their 60,000 or so members (mostly based in the South). The punishments for willfully ignoring filing a required BOIR could result in criminal and/or civil financial penalties (and even imprisonment). While those are extremes, it helps highlight the importance of double-checking your obligations under the law. CAFB sent additional info to county Farm Bureaus last week, but you can find several of those shared resources below.

Latest on HPAI in Dairy Cows

As of Wednesday, twelve total states have confirmed cases of dairy cows testing positive for highly pathogenic avian influence (HPAI). Dating back to the first confirmed case on March 25^th, the full list now includes (east to west): North Carolina, Ohio, Michigan, Iowa, Minnesota, Texas, Kansas, South Dakota, Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, and Idaho. USDA and other domestic and international groups continue to reiterate that the overall risk to humans is low at this time, and that pasteurization remains the biggest tool in ensuring milk and dairy products remain safe for consumption. Testing requirements exist for those seeking to transit dairy cows across state lines, although they are hoping to launch a pilot program for a select few states that will ease the process of moving herds via bulk milk testing. We will continue to update as more details are shared.

Matthew Viohl

Federal Policy, Director

Erin Huston

Federal Policy, Consultant

Isabella Quinonez

Public Policy Coordinator