On March 27, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a significant restructuring initiative in accordance with President Trump’s Executive Order, “Implementing the President’s Department of Government...more
3/28/2025
/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Employees ,
Executive Orders ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Government Agencies ,
Healthcare Reform ,
National Institute of Health (NIH) ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Trump Administration
The new Administration under President Trump is now over a month old, but there remains some uncertainty as to how the Administration will approach agricultural policy. The Administration’s first wave of environmental...more
3/7/2025
/ CEQ ,
Department of Agriculture ,
Endangered Species Act (ESA) ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Executive Orders ,
FIFRA ,
Government Agencies ,
NEPA ,
Pesticides ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Trump Administration ,
USDA
On January 22, Nebraska state Senator Mike Jacobson (R), at the request of Governor Jim Pillen (R), introduced the Agriculture Data Privacy Act (LB525). This is a first-of-its kind privacy bill that would specifically...more
Every president since George Washington has used the power of the executive order to achieve policy goals, set uniform standards for managing the executive branch of government, or influence the behavior of private citizens....more
The United States has prevailed in a dispute against Mexico under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) concerning genetically modified (GM) corn....more
There is significant potential that the Congressional Review Act (CRA) will play a prominent role in the early weeks of the Trump Administration. Below, we will break down what the CRA is, when it applies, and how it may be...more
In a departure from past jurisprudence, a recent DC Circuit decision questioned whether the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) had the legal authority to issue key regulations under the National Environmental...more
11/26/2024
/ Administrative Procedure Act ,
Audubon Society ,
Aviation Industry ,
CEQ ,
Environmental Policies ,
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ,
Government Agencies ,
National Park Service ,
NEPA ,
Regulatory Agencies ,
Regulatory Authority ,
Separation of Powers ,
Statutory Authority
On July 2, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Health Inspection Service (APHIS) published a Request for Information (RFI) seeking public comment on the improvement of regulatory processes governing genetically...more
Effort Supports $1 Billion Commitment to Facilitate Deployment of Wireless AgTech Networks -
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has announced the next public meeting of its Precision Agriculture Connectivity Task...more
The energy transition and increased public focus on environmental issues have strained the existing regulatory regime including the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). NEPA directs agencies to conduct environmental...more
Many major companies have announced a blueprint to minimize their carbon footprint. Some companies have gone so far as to proclaim that they will achieve “net zero” emissions in the near future. To accomplish their climate...more
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has announced the next public meeting of its Precision Agriculture Connectivity Task Force (Task Force), which has been scheduled for March 28, 2023....more
A bipartisan group of lawmakers in Congress is set to introduce a bill that if enacted would direct the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to consider the needs of the agriculture industry when...more
The principal legislative focus for the agriculture sector in 2023 will be the new Farm Bill, which sets the policies for most of the country’s agriculture programs, authorizing mandatory and discretionary spending for...more
1/27/2023
/ Agricultural Sector ,
CFTC ,
Department of Agriculture ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Farm Bill ,
Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) ,
PFAS ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Sackett ,
SCOTUS ,
USDA ,
Waters of the United States ,
West Virginia v EPA
The Republican leadership in the US House of Representatives has named Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD-1) chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration. As its name suggests,...more
On January 20, 2023, the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) final rule on food traceability will take effect. Regulated entities will have a three-year compliance period, with a current compliance date of January 20,...more
The Biden Administration is using a comprehensive set of tools to stick closely to campaign promises around — and the public demand for — climate action.
Recently, the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced...more
Hydroponic production has become increasingly popular in American agriculture. Historically, fruits and vegetables had been grown exclusively on traditional soil-based farms. Hydroponics, by contrast, are typically grown in...more
On September 13, 2022, a federal court in San Francisco decided an NGO-led challenge to the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) final rule establishing a national standard for the disclosure of bioengineered foods. At the...more
9/30/2022
/ Bioengineering ,
California ,
Commerce Clause ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Food Labeling ,
Genetically Engineered Seed ,
National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard (NBFDS) ,
QR Codes ,
Standing ,
Summary Judgment ,
USDA
President Biden has revealed the next areas of focus in his effort to protect the United States’ technological leadership and economic competitiveness: biotechnology, biomanufacturing, and the bioeconomy....more
9/21/2022
/ Biden Administration ,
Biotechnology ,
Department of Energy (DOE) ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Department of Transportation (DOT) ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Executive Orders ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
New Regulations ,
Supply Chain ,
Sustainability ,
U.S. Commerce Department ,
USDA
In July 2018, the Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ), the EU’s Highest Court, issued a decision clarifying whether the EU would regulate products of innovative breeding techniques, like gene editing, under the EU’s...more
Environmentally responsible fashion has become a key marketing signal for many global brands, with advertising claims such as “sustainable,” “responsibly sourced,” “organic,” and “recycled” cropping up throughout the fashion...more
On March 7, 2022, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), operating under its New Animal Drug Authority, took a new, important regulatory step forward in assessing genome editing in animals. Specifically, the Agency...more
As you know, in our recent Alert, we addressed the announcement of the members of the FCC's Precision Agriculture Connectivity Task Force ("Task Force). Now, the FCC has announced the new members of the four "Working Groups"...more
The role of environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) factors in capital allocation and investment decisions are poised to take center stage in 2022. A trend that entered the mainstream with a statement from the...more