Bills · HR 3516
IN COMMITTEE· 119TH CONGRESS
House BillHR 3516Agriculture and Food
Opportunities for Fairness in Farming Act of 2025
INTRO MAY 20· LAST ACTION MAY 20
READING
8MIN
COSPONSORS
1
READER REACTIONS0 TOTAL
NO VOTES YET · BE THE FIRST
- Introduced only
LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS
STEP 2 / 8Introduced
In Committee
Reported
Passed House
Passed Senate
Conference
To President
Became Law
WHAT THE BILL DOES
AI-writtenVoters should care about this bill because it affects how a significant amount of money collected from American farmers is managed and spent. If this bill becomes law, it could mean that farmers' mandatory contributions are used more directly for broad market promotion and research, rather than for lobbying efforts or activities that might favor specific industry segments or individuals. This could lead to a more level playing field for all producers of a commodity.
Without this bill, the concerns identified by Congress – that some checkoff funds may be used for lobbying, benefit special interests, or engage in anticompetitive practices – could continue. Passing this bill would increase transparency and accountability in these multi-million dollar programs, potentially restoring trust among farmers regarding how their money is utilized, and ensuring that these programs truly serve the collective good of an agricultural commodity rather than specific agendas.
KEY PROVISIONS
5AI-extractedPROVISION 01
Prohibits checkoff programs with over $20 million in annual revenue from contracting with any party that engages in agricultural policy lobbying.
This aims to ensure that mandatory farmer contributions are not indirectly used to influence government policy, which is currently broadly prohibited but allegedly occurs.
PROVISION 02
Bans conflicts of interest for checkoff program boards, their employees, and agents, preventing financial ties to entities that contract with the board.
This provision seeks to prevent self-dealing and ensure that board decisions are made to benefit the commodity as a whole, not individual financial interests.
PROVISION 03
Forbids checkoff programs from engaging in anticompetitive, unfair, deceptive, or disparaging acts against other agricultural commodities or products.
This aims to prevent programs designed to promote one commodity from actively harming or undermining the market for another, fostering fairer competition.
PROVISION 04
Requires all entities contracting with checkoff programs to provide quarterly records of all funds received and spent, including goods, services, and costs.
This increases oversight and accountability for how checkoff funds are used by third-party contractors, making their spending transparent.
PROVISION 05
Mandates that checkoff program boards maintain, publish, and make publicly available all contractor records, budgets, and disbursements within 30 days of receipt.
This provision significantly enhances public transparency, allowing farmers and the public to scrutinize how checkoff funds are allocated and spent.
SPONSORSHIP
1 + 1
R· South Carolina
YRS IN OFFICE
5
BILLS LED
103
COSPONSOR BREAKDOWNBIPARTISAN · 0%
DEM 1 REP 0 IND 0
ACTION TIMELINE
2 EVENTSMAY 20
Introduced in House
MAY 20
Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
BILL INFO
TypeHouse Bill
NumberHR 3516
Congress119th
StatusIn Committee
IntroducedMay 20, 2025
Last actionMay 20, 2025
READER REACTIONS
OVERALL SENTIMENT
No reactions yet. Be the first to weigh in.
Discussion
Loading comments...
IN COMMITTEE· 119TH CONGRESS · AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE · INTRODUCED MAY 20, 2025
House BillHR 3516Agriculture and Food
Opportunities for Fairness in Farming Act of 2025
INTRODUCED MAY 20, 2025· LAST ACTION MAY 20, 2025
PASSAGE CHANCES
—%
READING
8 min
COSPONSORS
1
COMPLEXITY
Moderate
