Congress Reauthorizes U.S. Grain Standards Act

The U.S. House of Representatives late Wednesday approved the U.S. Grain Standards Reauthorization Act (S. 4054). The U.S. Senate approved the legislation prior to the Thanksgiving holiday and the bill now moves to President Trump’s desk to be signed into law.

The U.S. Grain Standards Act (USGSA) sets the framework for the functioning of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Federal Grain Inspection Service.

Earlier this week, NCGA joined a coalition of agriculture interests in a letter urging members of Congress to support S. 4054 ahead of the impending Dec. 11 expiration of parts of USGSA.

“The U.S. grain inspection system provides certainty to our foreign customers that all U.S. grains and oilseeds have been inspected and certified by an independent agency and provides great value to U.S. commodities, thereby enhancing our competitiveness in the world market. This certainty and reliability have helped grow export markets for U.S. commodities and serves as a significant advantage for U.S. products versus commodities from other origins,” the organizations wrote.