NATIONAL MILK PRODUCERS FEDERATION for NATIONAL MILK PRODUCERS FEDERATION

Transportation TRA

Truck Weight Limits - HR 612 - Supported legislation to increase truck weight limits within certain guidelines on federal interstate highways.

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

Bills named: H.R. 612 (113th)

Trade (domestic/foreign) TRD

Import and Export Issues of Concern Trade Preference Programs Trade Promotion Authority Free Trade Agreements Under Negotiation Provided information related to the following issues: Trans-Pacific FTA. Central America FTA compliance Geographical indications efforts by European Union. Various countries' dairy certification requirements. Dairy trade issues with India, Russia, Mexico and China. Animal issues for upcoming Codex Alimentarius Commission meetings. Trans-Atlantic FTA. U.S. - Canada trade barriers. Columbia and Panama FTA compliance. S. 1900, HR 3830 - Monitored the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities Act of 2014

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

Bills named: H.R. 3830 (113th), S. 1900 (113th)

Financial Institutions/Investments/Securities FIN

Monitored information on impacts of Commodity Futures Trading Commission regulations and rule-making.

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

Agriculture AGR

2014 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 the Margin Protection Program. Child Nutrition Reauthorization - general interest. Other bills affecting dairy programs and policies: HR 1396 - California Federal Milk Marketing Order Act S 605 - Dairy Income Fairness Act S 663 - California Milk Marketing Order Act S 670 - Dairy Pricing Reform Act of 2013 S 954 - Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act of 2013 HR 1947 - Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013 HR 2642 - Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013 HR 3663 - Reducing Federal Mandates on School Lunch Act HR 4800 - Ag Appropriations S 2389 - Ag Appropriations

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

Bills named: H.R. 4800 (113th), H.R. 1947 (113th), H.R. 3663 (113th), H.R. 1396 (113th), H.R. 2642 (113th)

Taxation/Internal Revenue Code TAX

Supported various efforts to improve and simplify the tax code for dairy farmers. Estate Tax - Supported efforts to reform estate taxes. Cash Accounting - Supported maintaining cash accounting for all sized farms in future tax reforms. Section 179 Small Business Expensing - Supported maintenance of a $1 million Secion 179 expensing limitation and $2million acquisition limit. Alternative Minimum Tax - Supported efforts to eliminate the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT). Bonus Depreciation - Supported legislation to make bonus deprecation for farm equipment permanent.

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

Energy/Nuclear ENG

Energy Initiatives - Worked to incentivize biogas production, energy efficiency measures and assistance, etc. Biogas Tax Incentives - Supported efforts to establish tax incentives for biogas production. Biogas Roadmap - Provided expertise and input into the inter-agency Biogas Roadmap being completed by the Administration. Biogas Financing - Provided input to USDA and DOE regarding financing options for farmers wishing to install methane digesters. 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.

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

Immigration IMM

Immigration Reform - Worked on efforts to reform immigration rules relating to agriculture workers. S. 744 - The Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act - Provided input regarding the affect on agriculture and dairy farners in regards to comprehensive immigration legislation along with other agricultural stakeholders. HR 1773 - AG Act

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

Bills named: H.R. 1773 (113th), S. 744 (113th)

Food Industry (safety, labeling, etc.) FOO

Labeling - Ensured food labeling is based on sound science. Food Safety - Monitored implementation of new food safety law. HR 4307, HR 4308 - Opposed efforts to authorize the interstate traffic of unpasteurized milk and milk products for direct human consumption.

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

Bills named: H.R. 4308 (113th), H.R. 4307 (113th)

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 820 - 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 which has not been reintroduced to date. Animal Drug and Animal Generic Drug User Fee Act of 2013 - S. 622 - Supported re-authorization efforts with industry stakeholders and other livestock groups in order to continue user fees for more efficient approval of medically important animal drugs.

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

Bills named: S. 622 (113th), H.R. 820 (113th), H.R. 3798 (113th)

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. Clean Water Act Guidance - Addressed concerns with proposed rules on Clean Water Act jurisdiction. Opposed efforts to adopt an interpretative rule related to permit exemptions for NRCS conservation practices.

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