Latest News From Governmental Regulations

Government officials claim power over entrance, searches, and surveillance on private land with no restrictions.

Jeremy Bennett was prosecuted for denying the state entry to his private business.

New final rule under the Packers and Stockyards Act promotes inclusive competition and prevents discrimination, retaliation and deception in contract farming.

Steve Cubbage explores the true intentions behind foreign land ownership, and if it could be planting seeds of risk for our food security and national security.

The government seized control of John Yearwood’s ranchland in the name of a tiny bug. “There is no shame in Washington,” he says.

After the government twice flooded a farmer’s home and 900 acres, killed his cattle, and insisted he foot the bill, the Supreme Court will hear the case.

China's GDP growth could possibly drop lower than the U.S. this year. In fact, fewer and fewer sectors are healthy, and only then by direct government intervention.

Waters of the U.S. rules have evolved many times in the past 50 years. EPA announced another round of changes on Tuesday, following a May Supreme Court ruling that required EPA to revise the definition.

John Phipps says there are signs that water is the new oil as water rights turn into water fights across the western U.S. He thinks it's a battle that could only heat up in the coming years.

“Producers looking to adopt precision ag technologies need network connectivity that extends far past their residences. They need to be able to make real-time decisions that increase yields," says Sen. Fischer (R-Neb.).

Roughly 37.6 million acres of U.S. ag land is foreign owned, according to USDA. However, select purchases of U.S. land could come to an end following a Senate vote this week.

EPA has been asked to exclude ditches from the definition of federal waters, include wetlands when they can't be distinguished from navigable waters, and erase the independent interstate waters and wetlands category.

The Farmland Security Act of 2023 seeks to further boost transparency in foreign ownership of U.S. farmland.

EPA has a deadline from the Eight Circuit Court of Appeals to offer a progress report on the Waters of the U.S. rule by Sept. 15.

The House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) introduced an act to prevent foreign adversaries from exploiting U.S. land near security sites, and would push a review of current ownership in these areas.

State officials find these states serve as early examples of the challenges other places may face in response to the recent Sackett ruling on WOTUS.

The program targets those who were discriminated against before Jan. 1, 2021, or those still in debt from discriminatory USDA farm loans. 

EPA plans to revise the "Waters of the United States" (WOTUS) regulation by Sept. 1. Both the EPA and the Corps of Engineers have regulatory duties for federal waterways.

Under the bill, the USDA and the FDA would become members of CFIUS and their powers would be expanded to better consider ag needs when it decides if a purchase would create national security risks.

Richie Devillier is fighting back after the government twice flooded his 900-acre farm and home, killed his cattle, ran his family through emotional hell—and insisted he foot the entire bill.

Court Justice Samuel Alito said the EPA's interpretation of its powers went "too far."

John Kerry, Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, says ag need to be "front and center" as the climate solution.

Automakers, including Ford, recently announced they are planning to remove AM radio from their lineups. Joe Gill, National Association of Farm Broadcasters president, says this move poses a threat to public safety.

The Office of Investment Security proposed a rule on Friday that would require foreign entities to garner U.S. government approval before they are able to purchase land within 100 miles of eight military bases.

Kentucky is the 27th state to put a wall up against the legislation. EPA countered Kentucky’s move, asking the court to make clear that the latest rule does not apply nationwide.

The Missouri Senate on Wednesday backed a plan to amend the state's foreign land ownership threshold. The bill also includes a provision that would limit foreign countries from acquiring farmland in Missouri by Sept. 1.

“As I understand it, this rule says EPA is going to determine jurisdiction on a case-by-case basis,” says NCBA's Ethan Lane. “This is never the way you want a bureaucracy to interact with your private businesses."

According to USDA, this funding was made available to help struggling rural communities “recover economically” and offer more market opportunities, improve infrastructure and protect farmland.

This round is for those who were delinquent on a direct loan as of Sept. 2020, restricted a loan after Feb. 2020 through FSA, or those who owe more interest on a direct loan than the level of the principal.

A resolution introduced Tuesday would support the “preservation” of the rule and “oppose efforts to impose new taxes on family farms or small businesses.”

The EPA’s new definition of Waters of the U.S. takes effect Monday. Here's a rundown of what is considered WOTUS and, therefore, subject to federal regulation.

The House last week has already passed its WOTUS rule resolution and it’s up for a Senate vote. The White House has pledged a veto of the measure, should it reach President Joe Biden’s desk.

To put cover crop investments in motion, NRCS would draw on federal, state and private conservationists to hire “thousands” of employees for rural America.

“Over the long term, our projections suggest that changes in fiscal policy must be made to address the rising costs of interest and mitigate other adverse consequences of high and rising debt," CBO Director Swagel said

With Republicans now in control of the House, Rep. RandyFeenstra (R-Iowa) said he wants to introduce legislation shielding the stepped-up basis and like-kind exchanges.

The revamped foods program would absorb the functions of Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition and the Office of Food Policy and Response, as well as some of the work of the Office of Regulatory Affairs.

According to USDA, the pilot will mirror the working library that was shared with stakeholders in 2022 but will now contain active contracts.

Reps. Dusty Johnson and Jim Costa on Tuesday introduced the Safer Highways and Increased Performance for Interstate Trucking (SHIP IT) Act to expand the trucking workforce and offer flexibility in times of need.

Some legislative officials have discussed the possibility that the Treasury could use an obscure law authorizing platinum coins to circumvent Congress if lawmakers don't raise the debt ceiling.

Sen. Anderson introduced a resolution last Friday aimed at phasing out electric vehicle sales in Wyoming by 2035. The resolution was referred to the state's minerals committee, who tabled it until 2024.

Farm Bureau's Duvall says the rule puts farmers and ranchers in a position where they will have to hire lawyers and consultants to establish the boundaries of farming.

Under the rule, APHIS would require tags that are both visually and electronically readable for interstate movement of cattle and bison six months after a final rule is published in the Federal Register.

If the nation’s debt hits $31.4 trillion—it’s on track to do so by this Thurs.—the Treasury will need to take “extraordinary measures” to help pay the government's operations and ward off a historic default.

The additional payments will be equal to 15% of the producer’s previous CFAP 2 payments.

Farm Bureau hosted Secretary Vilsack at its annual convention in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where he announced the details of ERP Phase 2 and PARP, U.S.-made fertilizer and new meat and poultry processing facility plans.

The definition maintains longstanding exemptions for farming activities but trims an exclusion for prior converted cropland that had been in the Trump administration’s Navigable Waters Protection Rule.

The prospect of Title 42 ending prompted crowds to form on the Mexican side of the border of the U.S. as they awaited to cross the border.

Taiwan’s defense ministry said China sent 71 warplanes and seven naval vessels on “strike drills”⁠ — rehearsals for conflict ⁠— into its air-defense zones.

Soybean oil, food waste and leftover feedstocks and manure will be turned into bioproducts like asphalt and plastic, thanks to a USDA program aimed at increasing U.S. competition in global markets.

Text of the $1.7 trillion omnibus spending package was released early Tuesday morning. The Senate will vote first and intends to pass the measure before Thursday, leaving the House no time to demand changes.