Trucking Bill Garners More Support
The AmericanHort-supported Agricultural Trucking Relief Act, H.R.1673, introduced by Rep. Austin Scott (R-GA), gained additional support this past week, with new Congressional cosponsors as well as supporting organizations. Additional cosponsors over the past couple of weeks include Representatives Greg Gianforte (R-MT), TJ Cox (D-CA), Steven Palazzo (R-MS), Rick Crawford (R-AR), Doug LaMalfa (R-CA), Greg Pence […]
At Last, 30,000 More Seasonal Worker Visas
By: Craig Regelbrugge & Laurie Flanagan On May 8, the Departments of Homeland Security (DHS) and Labor (DOL) finally released a rule that established a process for employers to apply for 30,000 more H-2B visas for fiscal 2019. These visas are limited to returning workers who received H-2B visas in one or more of the previous […]
Phytophthora ramorum Areas Officially Deregulated
Effective May 20, 2019, some “regulated areas” for Phytophthora ramorum will no longer be regulated under the federal program, though “quarantine areas”, where the pathogen is established, will be. Operationally, nothing really changes as this approach has been already in effect through federal orders previously established in 2014 and 2015. USDA-APHIS announced the codification following a public […]
Toward Implementing New Plant Breeders’ Rights Option
The new Farm Bill that was signed into law at the end of 2018 included a provision, supported by AmericanHort, that expanded the Plant Variety Protection Act (PVPA) to cover asexually, or vegetatively, reproduced plants. Since its inception in 1970, the PVPA has been the primary breeders’ rights option for breeders of seed-reproduced plant innovations. […]
Going to Bat for the Horticultural Specialties Census
In response to a request for public input, AmericanHort and the Society of American Florists filed official comments in support of continuing the Census of Horticultural Specialties. The comments pointed out that since 1889, data collected and presented by the Census of Horticultural Specialties have been a valuable resource to the floriculture and nursery industry. […]
EPA to Respond on Chlorpyrifos
The EPA has 90 days, or until July 18, 2019, to explain why chlorpyrifos should not be banned, says a recent ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit. This is the latest news in an ongoing issue surrounding the human health risks from chlorpyrifos. Earlier this year, the 9th Circuit court […]
Update on Additional H-2B Visas
AmericanHort and the H-2B Workforce Coalition continue to urge the Administration to immediately make available to seasonal employers the additional 30,000 H-2B visas that it committed to releasing last month. We hope the final rule outlining the process for applying for these visas will be released shortly. On March 29, the Department of Homeland Security […]
AmericanHort Participates in Virginia Congressional Visit
On April 26, Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) visited AmericanHort premium member Battlefield Farms in Rapidan, Virginia. Spanberger, a newly-elected member of Congress, who also sits on the House Committee on Agriculture, spent over two hours touring the facility and discussing priority issues. The AmericanHort advocacy team had worked with Battlefield Farms to coordinate the visit […]
Social Security Administration Resumes “No-Match” Letters
The Social Security Administration (SSA), beginning in April 2019, has resumed sending “Employer Correction Request” letters, also known as “no-match letters,” to every employer that has at least one Social Security no-match, meaning that names or Social Security numbers (SSNs) listed on an employer’s Form W-2 do not match SSA’s records. The letters now being […]
Ag Secretary Perdue Defends Glyphosate
Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue has expressed concerns over recent glyphosate rulings and their impacts on U.S. agriculture. At a House appropriations subcommittee hearing, Perdue asserted that it would ‘devastating’ if glyphosate were pulled from the market and added that it has ‘exponentially’ increased crop production in the last 25 years. “I’m afraid that while […]