United States Grain Standards Reauthorization Act of 2020

#4054 | S Congress #116

Last Action: By Senator Roberts from Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry filed written report. Report No. 116-334. (12/16/2020)

Bill Text Source: Congress.gov

Summary and Impacts
Original Text

Bill Summary

This legislation, entitled the "United States Grain Standards Reauthorization Act of 2020," was passed by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America. It aims to reauthorize the United States Grain Standards Act and make other changes related to the provision of official inspection and weighing services for grain. Specifically, it requires state agencies to notify the Secretary of any discontinuation of these services and amends certain sections of the Grain Standards Act to extend the authority for weighing, limit administrative costs, and enhance reporting requirements. It also appropriates funds for these services and establishes limitations on the use of user fees. Additionally, the legislation increases the frequency of reporting on inspection program data and grants the Secretary the ability to publish additional data related to testing and inspection activities. The legislation also makes changes to the advisory committee and requires the Secretary to conduct a review of the geographic boundaries for official agencies. Finally, it includes a technical correction to the language used in the act.

Possible Impacts



1. The Act may affect farmers and grain producers who rely on official inspection and weighing services provided by State agencies or official agencies. They may be notified of discontinuance of these services and have to find alternative sources for them, which could potentially disrupt their operations and increase costs.
2. The Act may also affect the grain industry, as it requires increased reporting frequency and data for intrinsic quality factors and food safety factors. This could lead to increased scrutiny and potential consequences for companies found to be not in compliance with these standards.
3. The Act may also have financial implications for the government, as it authorizes appropriations for funding official inspection and weighing services. The limitation on the use of user fees may also impact the budget and allocation of resources for these services.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4054 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]

        S.4054

                     One Hundred Sixteenth Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America


                          AT THE SECOND SESSION

           Begun and held at the City of Washington on Friday,
            the third day of January, two thousand and twenty


                                 An Act


 
  To reauthorize the United States Grain Standards Act, and for other 
                                purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
    This Act may be cited as the ``United States Grain Standards 
Reauthorization Act of 2020''.
SEC. 2. NOTIFICATION OF DISCONTINUANCE OF SERVICES BY STATE AGENCIES.
    Section 7 of the United States Grain Standards Act (7 U.S.C. 79) is 
amended--
        (1) in subsection (e)(2)(C)(i), by inserting ``and affected 
    customers or applicants for service of official inspection or 
    weighing services provided by the State agency'' after ``notify the 
    Secretary''; and
        (2) in subsection (j)(5), in the first sentence, by striking 
    ``2020'' and inserting ``2025''.
SEC. 3. WEIGHING AUTHORITY.
    Section 7A(l)(4) of the United States Grain Standards Act (7 U.S.C. 
79a(l)(4)) is amended in the first sentence by striking ``2020'' and 
inserting ``2025''.
SEC. 4. LIMITATION ON ADMINISTRATIVE AND SUPERVISORY COSTS.
    Section 7D of the United States Grain Standards Act (7 U.S.C. 79d) 
is amended by striking ``2020'' and inserting ``2025''.
SEC. 5. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.
    Section 17B of the United States Grain Standards Act (7 U.S.C. 87f-
2) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(d) Enhancement of Current Reporting.--
        ``(1) Increased frequency of inspection program data 
    reporting.--
            ``(A) In general.--Beginning not later than 1 year after 
        the date of enactment of this subsection, the Secretary shall 
        publish quarterly reports describing data from the tests and 
        inspections for intrinsic quality factors (including protein, 
        oil, and starch) and food safety factors, as reported, in the 
        aggregate, for fiscal years 2014 through 2018 in the tables in 
        section V (relating to providing official grain inspection and 
        weighing services) of the 2016 through 2018 annual reports to 
        Congress by the Federal Grain Inspection Service.
            ``(B) Delineation.--The data from the tests and inspections 
        under subparagraph (A) shall be delineated to reflect whether 
        the tests and inspections were requested of or performed by--
                ``(i) the Secretary; or
                ``(ii) a State agency delegated authority under section 
            7 or 7A or an official agency.
        ``(2) Exceptions and waivers.--Beginning not later than 1 year 
    after the date of enactment of this subsection, the Secretary shall 
    publish quarterly reports describing--
            ``(A) the number of exceptions requested under section 
        7(f)(2)(B);
            ``(B) the number of exceptions granted under section 
        7(f)(2)(B);
            ``(C) the number of waivers requested under section 
        5(a)(1); and
            ``(D) the number of waivers granted under section 5(a)(1).
    ``(e) Additional Reporting; Consultation.--The Secretary may, to 
the extent determined appropriate by the Secretary, in consultation 
with State agencies delegated authority under sections 7 and 7A, 
official agencies, and the grain industries described in the second 
sentence of section 21(a), publish--
        ``(1) data relating to testing for other intrinsic quality or 
    food safety factors; and
        ``(2) other data collected from inspection and weighing 
    activities conducted under this Act.
    ``(f) Protection of Confidential Business Information.--Any trade 
secrets or information described in section 552(b)(4) of title 5, 
United States Code, that is provided to or collected by the Secretary 
in carrying out subsection (d) or (e) shall not be included in a report 
under subsection (d) or (e) or otherwise publicly disclosed.''.
SEC. 6. APPROPRIATIONS.
    Section 19 of the United States Grain Standards Act (7 U.S.C. 87h) 
is amended--
        (1) by striking the section heading and designation and all 
    that follows through ``There are hereby'' and inserting the 
    following:
  ``SEC. 19. FUNDING.
    ``(a) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are'';
        (2) in subsection (a) (as so designated)--
            (A) by striking ``such sums as are necessary'' and 
        inserting ``$23,000,000''; and
            (B) by striking ``1988 through 2020'' and inserting ``2021 
        through 2025''; and
        (3) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(b) Limitations on Uses of User Fees.--
        ``(1) Definitions.--In this subsection:
            ``(A) Official inspection or weighing service.--The term 
        `official inspection or weighing service' means official 
        inspection, official weighing, supervision of weighing, 
        supervision of agency personnel, supervision of the field 
        office personnel of the Secretary, testing of equipment or 
        instruments, other services, or registration, the cost to the 
        Secretary of which is authorized to be covered by the 
        collection of a user fee pursuant to section 7, 7A, 7B, 16, or 
        17A, as applicable.
            ``(B) User fee.--The term `user fee' means a fee collected 
        by the Secretary under section 7, 7A, 7B, 16, or 17A.
        ``(2) Requirement.--A user fee--
            ``(A) shall be used solely to cover--
                ``(i) the cost to the Secretary for carrying out 
            official inspection or weighing services; and
                ``(ii) administrative costs to the Secretary directly 
            relating to official inspection or weighing services; and
            ``(B) shall not be used for--
                ``(i) activities relating to the development or 
            maintenance of grain standards; or
                ``(ii) any other activity that is not directly related 
            to the performance of official inspection or weighing 
            services.''.
SEC. 7. ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
    Section 21 of the United States Grain Standards Act (7 U.S.C. 87j) 
is amended--
        (1) in subsection (a), in the last sentence, by striking 
    ``successive terms'' and inserting ``successively for more than 2 
    terms''; and
        (2) in subsection (e), by striking ``2020'' and inserting 
    ``2025''.
SEC. 8. REVIEW OF GEOGRAPHIC BOUNDARIES FOR OFFICIAL AGENCIES.
    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
        (1) Grain handling facility.--The term ``grain handling 
    facility'' means a grain elevator, warehouse, or other storage or 
    handling facility.
        (2) Official agency geographic area.--The term ``official 
    agency geographic area'' means a geographic area for an official 
    agency, as defined by the Secretary under section 7(f)(2)(A) or 
    7A(i)(2)(A) of the United States Grain Standards Act (7 U.S.C. 
    79(f)(2)(A), 79a(i)(2)(A)).
        (3) United states grain standards act terms.--The terms 
    ``grain'', ``official agency'', ``official inspection'', 
    ``officially inspected'', ``official weighing'', ``supervision of 
    weighing'', and ``Secretary'' have the meanings given the terms in 
    section 3 of the United States Grain Standards Act (7 U.S.C. 75).
    (b) Review.--
        (1) In general.--The Secretary shall conduct a comprehensive 
    nationwide review of the official agency geographic areas.
        (2) Considerations.--In conducting the review under paragraph 
    (1), the Secretary shall take into consideration--
            (A) the number of grain handling facilities, both within 
        the official agency geographic areas and in areas that are not 
        official agency geographic areas, that currently use, or, 
        during the 5-year period preceding the date of submission of 
        the report under subsection (c), received service from, an 
        official agency that provides official inspection, official 
        weighing, supervision of weighing, or other services under the 
        United States Grain Standards Act (7 U.S.C. 71 et seq.);
            (B) the volume of grain for which official agencies provide 
        services at grain handling facilities within the official 
        agency geographic areas;
            (C) the number of official inspections of vessels and other 
        carriers within the official agency geographic areas;
            (D) other related services performed by official agencies 
        at grain handling facilities within the official agency 
        geographic areas;
            (E) the timeliness, accuracy, and appropriateness of 
        services performed by official agencies at grain handling 
        facilities within the official agency geographic areas;
            (F) fees charged by official agencies for services 
        performed under the United States Grain Standards Act (7 U.S.C. 
        71 et seq.), including grading, weighing, sampling, stowage 
        examination, and certification; and
            (G) any implications of modifications to the official 
        agency geographic areas on enhancing official inspection, 
        official weighing, and supervision of weighing in the domestic 
        market.
    (c) Report.--Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture 
of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, 
Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report containing--
        (1) the results of the review completed under subsection (b); 
    and
        (2) any recommendations with respect to those results that the 
    Secretary determines appropriate.
SEC. 9. TECHNICAL CORRECTION.
    Section 4(a)(1) of the United States Grain Standards Act (7 U.S.C. 
76(a)(1)) is amended by striking ``soybeans mixed'' and inserting 
``soybeans, mixed''.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.