Federal Legislation

Here is the legislation that NMPF is watching and acting on farmers' behalf:

 

2008 Farm Bill

On Thursday, May 8, House and Senate leaders announced that they had completed work on the Farm Bill. NMPF is encouraging the full Congress and the White House to approve the bill. For NMPF's statement in response to completion of the bill, click here.

 

Flyers to the House

 

2007 National Dairy Policy Direction - NMPF put together a comphrensive package detailing the needs and wants of dairy producers around the country for a new Farm Bill. This was distributed on Capitol Hill, to USDA, and to our members.

 

 

CERCLA/EPCRA - S 807/HR 1389

This bill aims to amend the 1980 CERCLA "Superfund" Act to provide that manure is not considered a hazardous substance when reporting air emissions. Currently it has 128 House co-sponsors (bipartisan and multiregional) and 26 co-sponsors in the Senate. These are NMPF's views on amending the CERCLA/EPCRA legislation:
  • Congress never intended the 1980 Superfund law to apply to farms and agricultural wastes.
  • It doesn't make sense to lump thousands of farms and livestock producers with the 1300 federal Superfund toxic waste sites.
  • American agriculture is effectively regulated by a wide range of federal and state environmental laws, regulations, and permitting. It has never been regulated by CERCLA or EPCRA.
  • Dairy producers are responsible stewards of the land, water, and air.

Click here to view NMPF's CERCLA/EPCRA webpage.

 

 

Ag Jobs - Immigration Reform S 340/HR371

Agricultural Job Opportunity, Benefits, and Security Act – Gives migrant workers in agricultural fields the ability to become a resident of the United States.

The problem: Some 50 to 75 percent of America’s farm work force is undocumented. As border and internal enforcement improves, work force disruptions are increasing and some operations are simply shutting down because growers cannot find a reliable, legal labor supply. This comes at a time when American agriculture is in perhaps its most precarious condition in our history, and we are on the verge of importing more food than we grow for the first time since records have been kept. Click here to read more about this issue.