2024 U.S. Election Results
- On November 7, 2024
While votes are still being counted in a number of congressional races, the current balance of the U.S. House...
2018 Farm Bill Officially Expired
- On October 2, 2024
The 2018 Farm Bill, previously operating under a one-year extension, officially expired September 30, 2024. Lapses in authorizing new...
Congress Passes Temporary Funding Resolution
- On October 2, 2024
We are two days into the new federal fiscal year, and Congress has been unable to agree on the...
USDA Plant Variety Protection Office Offers Webinar for Breeders of Asexually Reproduced Varieties
- On July 17, 2024
USDA-PVPO is hosting a webinar for breeders of asexually reproduced varieties on July 18 at 11:00 a.m. ET. The...
USPTO Seeks Input on an Experimental Use Exception
- On July 17, 2024
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is asking for public input on the current state of the experimental...
APHIS Deregulates ToBRFV in Fruit for Consumption
- On July 2, 2024
On June 17, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced a Federal Order designed to continue protecting...
U.S. House Moves Farm Bill Out of Committee on Bipartisan Vote
- On June 6, 2024
On May 24, the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture considered the Farm, Food, and National Security Act. This legislation...
Biden Administration Announces Section 301 Tariffs
- On May 23, 2024
On May 14, the White House Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) announced the outcomes from its four-year...
Farm Bill Markup Happening Now
- On May 23, 2024
Last week, the House Committee on Agriculture released its draft of the 2024 Farm Bill, titled “Farm, Food, and...
EPA Enforces Rule Barring Dicamba Products Sales
- On May 10, 2024
On February 14, EPA issued its Existing Stocks Order for Dicamba Products Previously Registered for Over-the-Top Use on Dicamba-Tolerant...
USDA Updates All State Noxious Weed Seed List
- On February 28, 2024
USDA has updated the All State Noxious Weed Seed List. The list, along with additional information and resources for...
USDA APHIS Releases Coordinated Framework for the Regulation of Biotechnology Report
- On November 15, 2023
On November 9, the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), in coordination with the Food and Drug...
Farm Bill Extension a Possibility
- On November 15, 2023
As the threat of a government shutdown looms again, Congress is negotiating a stopgap spending bill that is combined...
USDA APHIS Updates ReFreSH Documents
- On November 1, 2023
In early October, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) updated its Regulatory Framework for Seed Health (ReFreSH)...
ASTA Supports USDA Announcement of the Regional Agricultural Promotion Program
- On November 1, 2023
ASTA applauds USDA’s recent announcement of the Regional Agricultural Promotion Program. As a long-standing USDA cooperator, ASTA has partnered...
EPA Publishes Request for Information
- On November 1, 2023
On October 12, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a request (Advanced Notice for Proposed Rulemaking – ANPR) for...
USDA Releases Assessment on Agriculture and Forestry in Carbon Markets
- On November 1, 2023
On October 23, USDA released A General Assessment of the Role of Agriculture and Forestry in the U.S. Carbon...
ASTA Participates in APEC 2023
- On August 23, 2023
ASTA was proud to support the United States’ Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) conference held earlier this month in Seattle. Staff...
U.S. Establishes USMCA Dispute Panel on Mexico’s Agricultural Biotechnology Measures
- On August 23, 2023
On August 17, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced the launch of a formal dispute panel under USMCA...
EPA Revised PIP Rule to Add Exemption Categories
- On August 9, 2023
On July 31, 2023, the EPA’s revision to the regulation of Plant Incorporated Protectants (PIP) went into force. The...
Upcoming Webinar: Herbicide Strategy for Endangered Species with EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs
- On August 9, 2023
On August 10, USDA’s Office of Pest Management Policy (OPMP) will host a webinar with representatives from EPA’s Office...
House Ag Committee Announces Bipartisan Working Group Tackling Agriculture Workforce Challenges
- On June 28, 2023
On June 21, House Committee on Agriculture Chairman Glenn Thompson (PA-15) and Ranking Member David Scott (GA-13) released a...
EPA to Host Webinars on Final Rule Related to Use of Plant-Incorporated Protectants
- On June 28, 2023
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is hosting two stakeholder webinars on the recent final rule on plant-incorporated protectants (PIPs)....
EPA Releases Final Rule on PIPs Created Using Modern Plant Breeding
- On June 7, 2023
On May 25, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a final rule exempting certain classes of plant-incorporated protectants...
Bipartisan Legislation Introduced to Boost Soil Health and Align Crop Insurance with Risk Mitigation Practices
- On May 24, 2023
On May 18, Reps. Sean Casten (IL-06), Elissa Slotkin (MI-07), and Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) introduced the bipartisan, bicameral...
USDA Publishes Report on Seed Competition
- On March 15, 2023
On March 6, USDA published a report representing findings and recommendations from a request for public comment and information...
USDA Announces Conservation Reserve Program Signup for 2023
- On March 1, 2023
n February 16, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that agricultural producers and private landowners can begin applying for the...
Bipartisan Rural Internet Improvement Act Reintroduced
- On February 13, 2023
On January 30, U.S. Senators John Thune (R-SD), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Deb Fischer (R-NE)...
White House OSTP Publishes New RFI’s
- On December 21, 2022
On December 20, the White House Office of Science and Policy (OSTP) published two requests for information (RFI) for...
Congress to Vote on $1.75 Trillion Omnibus Bill
- On December 21, 2022
With government funding set to run out on Friday, December 23, Congress is looking to pass a $1.75 trillion...
Biden Administration Announces Additional Funding in Pilot Projects through Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities
- On December 21, 2022
On December 12, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the Biden-Harris Administration, through USDA, is investing an additional $325...
ASTA Witness to Testify at Senate Ag Committee Hearing on Farm Bill Research Programs
- On November 30, 2022
On Tuesday, December 6, Dr. Katy Rainey, Associate Professor, Agronomy, Purdue University, will testify on behalf of ASTA at...
ASTA Supports Bipartisan Legislation to Increase Access to Rural Broadband
- On November 30, 2022
On November 29, Chairman and ranking member, Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) and John Thune (R-SD) of the Senate Committee...
Rail Unions Make Demands Ahead of Possible Nationwide Rail Strike
- On November 30, 2022
Several rail unions have rejected the tentative contract agreement offered by the Biden administration in September. If no agreement...
USDA Releases Nationwide Farmer, Rancher and Forest Manager Prospective Customer Survey
- On November 30, 2022
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has released a nationwide survey seeking feedback from farmers, ranchers and forest managers....
USDA Extends Comment Period for Organic Rule
- On October 12, 2022
On October 7, USDA announced an extension to the public comment period for the Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking...
Biden Issues Executive Order on Advancing Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Innovation
- On October 12, 2022
On September 12, the White House issued an Executive Order on Advancing Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Innovation for a Sustainable,...
Court Issues Decision on Challenge to USDA Bioengineered Food Disclosure Rule
- On October 12, 2022
On September 13, the U.S. District Court of Northern California issued its decision on the lawsuit filed against USDA...
APHIS Publishes Three Regulatory Status Reviews
- On October 12, 2022
In September, USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) issued the first three regulatory status review responses under...
Taylor Nomination Advances out of Committee
- On September 28, 2022
On September 27, the Senate Agriculture Committee voted to advance the nomination of Alexis Taylor as the Under Secretary...
ASTA Provides Written Testimony for Congressional Conservation Hearing
- On September 28, 2022
On September 20, the House Agriculture Committee held a hearing to review and gain stakeholder perspective on Farm Bill...
USDA Announces Delay of Germplasm Deposit Requirement for Asexually Reproduced Varieties Protected by PVPO
- On September 14, 2022
On August 31, USDA announced the delay of the germplasm deposit requirement for asexually reproduced varieties protected by the...
APHIS Announces New Microbes Q&A and Updated Confirmation Request Guidance
- On September 14, 2022
On September 1, USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) released two resources to answer stakeholder questions regarding...
USDA Approves First Product Under New Review Process for Genetically Engineered Plants
- On September 14, 2022
USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) recently released a Regulatory Status Review (RSR) of a nutritionally-enhanced purple...
McKalip Nomination Advances out of Committee
- On September 14, 2022
On September 8, the Senate Finance Committee voted unanimously to approve Doug McKalip, Senior USDA Advisor, to be the...
Senate Finance Committee to Vote on USTR Ag Nominee
- On August 31, 2022
On September 7, the Senate Finance Committee is expected to vote to send the nomination of USDA adviser Doug...
Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 Signed into Law
- On August 18, 2022
Last week, the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives passed the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, with both chambers...
Applications Open for USDA Conservation Innovation Grants Classic Program
- On August 18, 2022
USDA will invest $15 million this year for the Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) Classic program. This year’s funding priorities...
USDA Proposes Updates to Bioengineered Foods List
- On August 3, 2022
USDA Agriculture Marketing Service (AMS) is seeking comments on proposed updates to the list of bioengineered foods. AMS proposed...
EPA Publishes Consent Decree Regarding Treated Seed
- On July 19, 2022
Earlier this month, EPA published a consent decree regarding the Center for Food Safety’s (CFS) petition on treated seed,...
State of the States
- On July 7, 2022
Sometimes in the world of governmental affairs, it’s what doesn’t happen that is most significant. This past year was...
