Several agricultural organizations have gotten language included in the pending fiscal year 2017 House Agricultural Appropriations Bill asking USDA to exempt research and promotion boards funded by grower checkoff fees from federal public records law.
USDA currently fills records requests, subject to certain exemptions, on behalf of the boards under the federal Freedom of Information Act. USDA bills the boards to cover its oversight, including time spent on records requests.
In an April 11 letter to the leadership of the House Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies, 14 commodity organizations requested the change in FOIA policy on behalf of their related checkoff fee-funded boards, which are prohibited from lobbying.