AmericanHort Represents Hort Industry at Plant Health Meeting
AmericanHort represented the U.S. nursery and floriculture industry at the recent North American Plant Protection Organization annual meeting. NAPPO works to harmonize approaches to plant and plant product imports into and within the North American region, to minimize the threat posed by quarantine and other regulated plant pests. AmericanHort participates in NAPPO to further our advocacy priority […]
AmericanHort Participates in Farm Workforce Modernization Act Introduction
On October 30, a bipartisan group of House lawmakers introduced H.R.4916, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act. A total of 44 lawmakers – 24 Democrats and 20 Republicans – joined as original cosponsors, which is rather remarkable in the face of the sharp partisan divides on virtually every issue in Washington these days. House Judiciary Immigration […]
Paying People Properly
These three words describe one of the most common problems that confront employers in managing today’s workplace. The failure to pay employees properly as required by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and similar state wage and hour laws is the basis for the most frequently filed legal actions against employers. The FLSA has been […]
Chlorpyrifos to Be Phased Out in California
Chlorpyrifos sales in California are set to end February 2020, according to a new agreement reached between the California Environmental Protection Agency and Dow Agrosciences and other companies. All sales will end February 6, 2020, and growers will no longer be allowed to possess chlorpyrifos after December 31, 2020. All current restrictions must be followed […]
Plum Pox Declared Eradicated from U.S.
At a ceremony held Thursday, October 17, Department of Agriculture Under Secretary Greg Ibach formally announced that the plum pox virus has been successfully eradicated from the U.S. AmericanHort was invited to speak at the ceremony, as was a representative of the Tuscarora tribe, whose tribal lands abut the international border in New York State. […]
House Agricultural Labor Bill Ready?
House lawmakers expect to introduce a bipartisan comprehensive agricultural labor reform bill as early as October 23. The core group of negotiators, led by Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship chairwoman Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), also includes Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) and Republicans Dan Newhouse (WA), Mike Simpson (ID), Mario Diaz-Balart (FL), and Doug LaMalfa (CA). […]
AmericanHort Weighs In on Hours of Service Changes
AmericanHort submitted public comments on October 18 on the notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) regarding trucking hours-of-service (HOS) changes. The proposed measures, aimed to give added time flexibility to commercial drivers, have been a priority at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) as of late. Flexibility with regard to HOS rules has also been […]
Martinez to Step Down from Transportation Regulatory Agency
Administrator Ray Martinez of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced he will leave the agency at the end of October, ending his term as administrator after being confirmed in February 2018. Martinez, citing a desire to spend more time with family, will remain at the Department of Transportation and oversee redevelopment construction at […]
H-2B and Appropriations
Fiscal year 2020 began on October 1. The federal government is currently operating under a temporary spending bill or “continuing resolution” (CR) that runs through November 21. To date, little progress has been made in discussions among House and Senate leaders on final spending bills. Also, the Senate has yet to pass annual spending bills, […]
One Less Pest in NYC, While Another Pest Experiments with Planes
No More ALB in the Big Apple–Earlier this month, USDA APHIS announced the successful eradication of Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) from areas in New York City. “I am proud to say that we have eradicated Asian longhorned beetle from Brooklyn and Queens,” said Greg Ibach, USDA’s Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs. “This officially […]