Letter
Dear Member of Congress:
The undersigned organizations thank you and your staff for the countless hours of work and dedication you are collectively contributing to address the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis. The farmers, ranchers, food and beverage manufacturers, processors, package suppliers and agricultural product marketers that make up our memberships are dedicated to providing the safe, abundant and affordable food, fiber and feed required to ensure our country stays healthy and fed.
We respectfully request you to join Rep. John Joyce (R-PA) in sponsoring the FARM to TABLE Act that assists our nation’s agricultural suppliers, producers, and transporters.
Federal law currently provides an exemption from federal hours of service rules for the transportation of agricultural commodities within a 150 air-mile radius from the source of the commodities, during planting and harvesting periods, as determined by the State.
While the majority of states have year-round planting and harvesting periods, allowing for a consistent application of the exemption, 15 states have chosen to narrowly define their planting and harvesting seasons. These varying regulations create confusion as to what rules a driver is operating under at any given time. Additionally, the current narrow definitions unnecessarily inhibit industries, such as dairy, livestock and agricultural inputs, which transport their supplies year-round.
The FARM to TABLE Act which will simplify the exemption for agricultural commodities by eliminating the state by state planting and harvesting period definition and allowing the exemption to apply year-round. Additionally, the bill provides greater transparency by defining an “agricultural commodity” with respect to the federal hours of service rules exemptions. The definition in this legislation would provide clarity for truck drivers and is consistent with input proposed to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration by over 100 agricultural and trucking organizations last fall.
As COVID-19 has clearly demonstrated, a reliable food and fiber supply chain is critically important to meeting the needs of families across the nation. This commonsense legislation will provide relief to the agricultural producers and their drivers who have worked tirelessly to feed America during this crisis.
Thank you in advance for your consideration of our request to co-sponsor the FARM to TABLE Act. If you have questions or would like to register your support for this bill, please contact Libby Callaway in Rep. Joyce’s office at Libby.Callaway@mail.house.gov.
Sincerely,
Agribusiness Association of Iowa
Agricultural and Food Transporters Conference
Agricultural Retailers Association
Agriculture Transportation Coalition
American Cotton Shippers Association
American Farm Bureau Federation
American Forest & Paper Association
American Honey Producers Association
American Seed Trade Association
American Sugar Alliance
California Grain and Feed Association
Consumer Brands Association
Corn Refiners Association
Cotton Warehouse Association of America
Grain and Feed Association of Illinois
Hardwood Federation
Institute of Shortening and Edible Oils
Kansas Agribusiness Retailers Association
Kansas Grain and Feed Association
Michigan Agri-Business Association
Minnesota Grain and Feed Association
Missouri Agribusiness Association
National Aquaculture Association
National Association of State Departments of Agriculture
National Association of Wheat Growers
National Barley Growers Association
National Cotton Council
National Cotton Ginners Association
National Council of Farmer Cooperatives
National Grain and Feed Association
National Milk Producers Federation
National Oilseed Processors Association
National Pork Producers Council
National Potato Council
National Sorghum Producers
National Sunflower Association
Nebraska Grain and Feed Association
North American Millers’ Association
North Dakota Grain Dealers Association
Northeast Agribusiness and Feed Alliance
Ohio AgriBusiness Association
Pacific Northwest Grain and Feed Association
Pet Food Institute
Renew Kansas Biofuels Association
Rocky Mountain Agribusiness Association
South Texans’ Property Rights Association
South Texas Cotton & Grain Association
Southwest Council of Agribusiness
Specialty Soya & Grains Alliance
Tennessee Feed and Grain Association
Texas Corn Producers Association
Texas Deer Association
Texas Grain and Feed Association
Texas Irrigation Council
Texas Poultry Federation
Texas Sheep and Goat Raisers Association
The Fertilizer Institute
The National Grange
United Fresh Produce Association
USA Dry Pea & Lentil Council
USA Rice
U.S. Canola Association
U.S. Custom Harvesters, Inc.
U.S. Dry Bean Council
Wisconsin Agri-Business Association Council World Pet Association
