Senate Agriculture Committee Chair John Boozman (R-Arkansas) continues to work with members of that committee on the Senate version of the Farm bill in hopes of taking up and approving the measure prior to the Congressional August recess. The timing means the markup would take place between July 13 and Aug. 7, according to the Senate legislative calendar. The House passed its version last month.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) says Senators are working on a new bill that would allow year-round sales of E15 higher blends of ethanol motor fuel.
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee passed a five-year surface transportation reauthorization bill after a marathon 15-hour legislative markup session that began on May 21 and ended in the early morning of May 22. The committee adopted the bill by a vote of 62-2 with three members not voting. Existing highway and transit authorizations are set to expire Sept. 30.
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Chief Aubrey Bettencourt has resigned from the agency, according to a letter sent to staff as reported by Agri-Pulse. Colton Buckley, NRCS associate chief, will assume the role of chief.
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) last week opened a $1.1 billion funding round to improve safety at railroad grade crossings. Funding under the Crossing Safety Program comes from the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to address over 2,000 collisions and nearly 300 fatalities yearly since 2021. Eligible projects include installing or improving signs, signals or protective devices; relocating tracks; and creating road separation by adding tunnels, bridges or embankments.
After reaching a settlement over a right-to-repair lawsuit with farmers in April, Deere & Co. is facing a new class action suit that alleges it also unfairly restricted repairs for its construction, lawn, and turf equipment. The case was brought by Christy Webber & Co., a landscaping operation in Chicago that services city landmarks like Soldier Field, Millennium Park and Navy Pier. The plaintiff alleged that Deere’s business practices have inflated repair costs and increased wait times since May 2022.
On April 30 the House finally passed a farm bill by a 224-200 vote. The Farm, Food, and National Security Act, includes several key provisions for conservation aimed at supporting private land stewardship and enhancing wildlife habitat.
An attempt to include in the House passed Farm Bill a provision to allow year-round U.S. sales of higher ethanol fuel blends, known as E15, became a major sticking point throughout consideration of the bill. The provision was removed after concerns arose that the biofuel measure might not have enough support amid oil refinery opposition and cost concerns and could therefore scuttle the Farm bill. Instead, a vote on E15 in a freestanding measure is now set for May 13.
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee was expected to mark up the next surface transportation reauthorization bill in April, but that timeline has slipped, with action now anticipated in May, Roads and Bridges reports.
In March, the Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to create a new exception for commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) at railroad grade crossings in specific situations.