NATIONAL MILK PRODUCERS FEDERATION for NATIONAL MILK PRODUCERS FEDERATION

Financial Institutions/Investments/Securities FIN

Provided information on impacts of Commodity Futures Trading Commission regulations and rulemaking, including HR 1840.

Contacted: Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS); State, Dept of (DOS); SENATE; Food & Drug Administration (FDA); Transportation, Dept of (DOT); Agriculture, Dept of (USDA); Administration for Children & Families (ACF); Labor, Dept of (DOL); U.S. Trade Representative (USTR); Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Energy, Dept of; Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Bills named: H.R. 1840 (112th)

Labor Issues/Antitrust/Workplace LBR

Youth Farm Labor - Opposed efforts to restrict work opportunities for youth employment on family farms.

Contacted: Food & Drug Administration (FDA); Transportation, Dept of (DOT); Energy, Dept of; Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC); U.S. Trade Representative (USTR); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS); SENATE; Labor, Dept of (DOL); State, Dept of (DOS); Administration for Children & Families (ACF); Agriculture, Dept of (USDA)

Trade (domestic/foreign) TRD

Import and Export Issues of Concern Trade Preference Programs Pending Free Trade Agreements Free Trade Agreements Under Negotiation Provided information related to the following issues: Preference program changes. Trans-Pacific FTA. Central America FTA implementation. Geographical indications efforts by European Union. Various countries' dairy certification requirements. Dairy trade issues with Morocco and Russia. Animal issues for upcoming Codex Alimentarius Commission meetings. Worked on Russian trade challenges over SPS demands. Opposed efforts to require mandatory country of origin labeling for dairy products. Opposed efforts to weaken/defund WTO Brazilian cotton settlement.

Contacted: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC); U.S. Trade Representative (USTR); Transportation, Dept of (DOT); Food & Drug Administration (FDA); Labor, Dept of (DOL); SENATE; State, Dept of (DOS); Administration for Children & Families (ACF); Energy, Dept of; Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS); Agriculture, Dept of (USDA); Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Office of Management & Budget (OMB)

Agriculture AGR

2012 Farm Bill - Monitored and provided relevant information as needed on implementation. Provided information on industry consideration of long-term structural revisions to dairy programs and policies, including Foundation for the Future and HR 3062, the Dairy Security Act of 2011 (See next page for additional legislation). Other bills affecting dairy programs and policies: HR 3372 - Dairy Pricing Deregulation Act HR 6083 - Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2012 HR 6233 - Agricultural Disaster Assistance Act of 2012 S 457 - Democracy for Dairy Producers Act of 2011 S 831 - Dairy COOL Act of 2011 S 1640 - Federal Milk Marketing Improvement Act of 2011 S 1682 - Dairy Advancement Act of 2011 S 1714 - Dairy Producer Income Protection Act of 2011 S 1715 - Dairy Pricing Reform and Farmer Protection Act of 2011 S 3240 - Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act of 2012

Contacted: Food & Drug Administration (FDA); Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS); Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Energy, Dept of; Transportation, Dept of (DOT); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Labor, Dept of (DOL); State, Dept of (DOS); U.S. Trade Representative (USTR); Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC); Administration for Children & Families (ACF); Agriculture, Dept of (USDA); Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); SENATE

Bills named: H.R. 6233 (112th), H.R. 6083 (112th), H.R. 3062 (112th), H.R. 3372 (112th)

Transportation TRA

Truck Weight Limits - HR 763 and S 747 - Supported legislation to increase truck weight limits within certain guidelines on federal interstate highways. Provided information on impacts to domestic dairy industry from cancellation of NAFTA Cross-Border Trucking Pilot Program.

Contacted: SENATE; Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Transportation, Dept of (DOT); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Labor, Dept of (DOL); Agriculture, Dept of (USDA); Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS); Energy, Dept of; Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); U.S. Trade Representative (USTR); State, Dept of (DOS); Food & Drug Administration (FDA); Administration for Children & Families (ACF); Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC)

Bills named: H.R. 763 (112th)

Taxation/Internal Revenue Code TAX

Supported various efforts to improve and simplify the tax code for dairy farmers. Estate Tax - HR 1259, the Death Tax Repeal Permanency Act of 2011 - Supported efforts to reform estate taxes. Alternative Minimum Tax - Supported efforts to eliminate the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT). Bonus Depreciation - HR 1747 and S 700 - Supported legislation to make bonus deprecation for farm equipment permanent.

Contacted: Administration for Children & Families (ACF); State, Dept of (DOS); SENATE; Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Agriculture, Dept of (USDA); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Food & Drug Administration (FDA); Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); U.S. Trade Representative (USTR); Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS); Energy, Dept of; Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC); Transportation, Dept of (DOT); Labor, Dept of (DOL)

Bills named: H.R. 1747 (112th), H.R. 1259 (112th)

Budget/Appropriations BUD

Fiscal Year 2012 Appropriations Legislation, including HR 2112, HR 2584 and HR 2055. Fiscal Year 2013 Agriculture Appropriations - Sought funding for agriculture programs, including Johne's disease management, Market Access Program, FMD, Dairy Indemnity Program, Farm Bill energy programs and conservation programs, Foreign Agriculture Service funding. Also, opposed attempts to prohibit funding for WTO Brazilian cotton settlement. Fiscal Year 2013 Interior/Environment Appropriations - Worked on efforts to bar funding for certain activities (See CAW Section).

Contacted: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Transportation, Dept of (DOT); Agriculture, Dept of (USDA); Labor, Dept of (DOL); State, Dept of (DOS); Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS); Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); U.S. Trade Representative (USTR); Administration for Children & Families (ACF); Food & Drug Administration (FDA); Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC); SENATE; Energy, Dept of

Bills named: H.R. 2584 (112th), H.R. 2112 (112th), H.R. 2055 (112th)

Energy/Nuclear ENG

Energy Initiatives - Worked to icentivize biogas production, energy efficiency measures and assistance, etc. Biogas Tax Incentives - Supported efforts to establish tax incentives for biogas production. Anaerobic Digestion - Supported efforts at USDA to ensure existing Farm Bill energy programs provide adequate opportunities for the development of anaerobic digestion systems on dairy farms. Biofuels - Monitored legislation and regulations effecting domestic biofuels production and use. Farm Bill Energy Title - Advocated for funding and reforms to the Farm Bill Energy Title, especially the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP).

Contacted: Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS); Labor, Dept of (DOL); SENATE; Transportation, Dept of (DOT); Food & Drug Administration (FDA); Energy, Dept of; HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); U.S. Trade Representative (USTR); Administration for Children & Families (ACF); Agriculture, Dept of (USDA); State, Dept of (DOS); Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC)

Immigration IMM

Immigration Reform - Worked on efforts to reform immigration rules relating to agriculture workers. H-2A and E-Verify - Advocated for certain reforms in Congress, and monitored these issues at the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Labor. H-2A Improvement Act - S 852 and HR 1720 Supported legislation to allow dairy farmers access to the seasonal worker (H-2A) visa program as a viable means for a legal workforce. A bill to provide for comprehensive immigration reform - S 1258 Supported legislation for a comprehensive immigration plan, including a pathway to citizenship and inclusion of AgJobs legislation. Legal Workforce Act HR 2164 Supported amendments to include a diary labor fix in this bill. Opposed passage through Committee. Accessibility Through Electronic Verification Act S 1196 Opposed legislation that will mandate electronic verification to all employers regardless of industry without an opportunity for a legal path to employing a new workforce. HARVEST Act of 2011 - S 1384 - Supported amendments to include specific dairy labor issues. American Specialty Agriculture Act - HR 2847 - Supported amendments to include specific dairy labor issues. Access to Agricultural Labor Act of 2011 - HR 3024 - Supported passage of this legislation.

Contacted: Energy, Dept of; Transportation, Dept of (DOT); State, Dept of (DOS); Administration for Children & Families (ACF); SENATE; Agriculture, Dept of (USDA); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Food & Drug Administration (FDA); Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC); Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); U.S. Trade Representative (USTR); Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Labor, Dept of (DOL); Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS)

Bills named: H.R. 1720 (112th), H.R. 2847 (112th), H.R. 2164 (112th), H.R. 3024 (112th)

Food Industry (safety, labeling, etc.) FOO

Labeling - Ensured food labeling is based on sound science. Food Safety - Monitored implementation of new food safety law. Raw Milk - HR 1830 and S 1955 - Opposed efforts to authorize the interstate traffic of unpasteurized milk and milk products for direct human consumption.

Contacted: Transportation, Dept of (DOT); Labor, Dept of (DOL); Food & Drug Administration (FDA); SENATE; Energy, Dept of; Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Office of Management & Budget (OMB); U.S. Trade Representative (USTR); Agriculture, Dept of (USDA); Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS); State, Dept of (DOS); Administration for Children & Families (ACF); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC)

Bills named: H.R. 1830 (112th)

Animals ANI

Animal Welfare - Provided educational outreach on animal welfare practices of the dairy industry and opposed any new, more restrictive regulations on this issue. Food, Animal Residue Avoidance Databank (FARAD) - Supported funding for this system to provide the industry with information on how to avoid drug, pesticide and environmental contaminant residue problems. Mandatory Animal ID - Supported steps to make this mandatory. Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment - HR 965 and S 1211 - Opposed legislation to avoid "overuse or misuse" of antibiotics in medicine and agriculture due to inappropriate limitations on needed antibiotics. Nonambulatory Cattle - Monitored efforts to address animal handling, especially nonambulatory cattle regulations and procedures. Antibiotic Tissue Residue - Monitored and provided information relating to efforts to expand the scope of testing for antibiotic tissue residue. Animal Rights Mandates - Opposed efforts to enact animal rights mandates via federal legislation, including HR 3798, the Egg Products Inspection Act Amendments of 2012.

Contacted: Agriculture, Dept of (USDA); Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS); Transportation, Dept of (DOT); State, Dept of (DOS); Administration for Children & Families (ACF); Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Food & Drug Administration (FDA); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Labor, Dept of (DOL); SENATE; Energy, Dept of; U.S. Trade Representative (USTR); Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC)

Bills named: H.R. 965 (112th), H.R. 3798 (112th)

Clean Air and Water (quality) CAW

Clean Air and Water - Addressed concerns to greatly expand the authority of the Environmental Protection Agency through the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act. Greenhouse Gas Emissions - Supported legislation to halt efforts by EPA to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act (CAA). Clean Water Act Sec. 308 Rulemaking - Opposed efforts for EPA to implement a rulemaking from a settlement agreement. Supported efforts for extension of comment period. Chesapeake Bay Initiative - Supported efforts to remove funding for the EPA Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Program for the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Supported the Chesapeake Bay Program Reauthorization and Improvement Act, HR 4153. Florida Numeric Nutrient Criteria - Supported efforts to remove funding for EPA's development of numeric nutrient criteria (NNC) for Florida's waters under the Clean Water Act (CWA). Coarse Particulate Matter - Supported efforts to remove funding to modify ambient air quality standards for coarse particulate matter under the CAA. Clean Water Act Guidance - Opposed EPA efforts to expand the federal CWA jurisdiction through guidance, not via rulemaking. Supported the Preserve Waters of the United States Act, S 2245. Dioxin - Opposed efforts by EPA to release a new reference dose level for dioxin. Clean Drinking Water Act - Opposed efforts by EPA to usurp the authority of USDA-NRCS to reccomend specifications for lagoons.

Contacted: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Agriculture, Dept of (USDA); Food & Drug Administration (FDA); State, Dept of (DOS); Labor, Dept of (DOL); Energy, Dept of; Administration for Children & Families (ACF); U.S. Trade Representative (USTR); Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC); SENATE; Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS); Transportation, Dept of (DOT); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Office of Management & Budget (OMB)

Bills named: H.R. 4153 (112th)