Committee advances two bills to reauthorize programs vital to agriculture

Today, the House Agriculture Committee approved H.R. 2088, the United States Grain Standards Reauthorization Act of 2015, and H.R. 2051, the Mandatory Price Reporting Act of 2015. Each bill reauthorizes a law set to expire on September 30th, 2015, and ensures that the laws continue to operate in a manner that serves the public interest.

H.R. 2088, introduced by Chairman K. Michael Conaway and Ranking Member Collin Peterson, along with General Farm Commodities and Risk Management Subcommittee Chairman Rick Crawford and Ranking Member Tim Walz, would ensure that the official inspection and weighing of bulk grains and oilseeds are done in a reliable, uninterrupted, consistent, and cost-effective manner.  

H.R. 2051, introduced by Chairman Conaway, Ranking Member Peterson, and Livestock and Foreign Agriculture Subcommittee Chairman David Rouzer, would reauthorize livestock mandatory price reporting, which has become an essential tool for producers and packers to compete as the industry continues to evolve.

“These are important laws for agriculture, and I appreciate the input from industry and stakeholders, and the diligence of my colleagues on the committee," Chairman Conaway said. "These bills promote competition and certainty. It is essential for grain inspections to take place in a timely fashion, given that 95 percent of the world’s population resides outside the U.S. These inspections guarantee that we have access to global markets. Similarly, livestock reporting provides transparency in the market to make sure producers get a fair price. This system allows producers and packers to access timely and accurate information regarding the price of the products they buy and sell. After hearing from all stakeholders, I am pleased the committee found bipartisan consensus to put forth these two strong bills.”