Grain Inspection 

Advisory Committee 

Meeting August 14-16

2019 Kansas City, MO

Recommendations 

to the United States 

Secretary of 

Agriculture 

Committee Members present include: John Lindgren, Brent Turnipseed, Ryan Kuhl, Bruce 

Sutherland, John Morgan, Chad Becnel, Mark Watne, Randy Burns, Rick Robinette, David Ayers, 

Tom Tunnel, Todd Russom (alternate for Chad Chambers), Sarah Sexton-Bowser (Secretary), 

Matthew Kerrigan (Vice Chair), and Linsey Moffit-Tobin (Chair) dated August 30th, 2019
Hemp Rulemaking

1. Establish a GIAC subcommittee to review the need for and scope of establishing

grading standards or guidance for hemp oil and seed, and other ideotypes and 

uses with commercial need for standards. The subcommittee will work in 

conjunction with staff and report findings and recommendations at the 2020 

spring meeting. 

13 in Favor

2 Nay

Lengthen Terms of Service for GIAC Members

2. The GIAC recommends that the 2020 reauthorization of the U.S. Grain 

Standards Act establishes a 5-year term of service for GIAC members with the 

utilization of shorter terms to stagger appointments. This process of appointing 

members serves to strengthen commitments of service, establish continuity, 

foster collaboration and encourage cohesiveness of the committee. Members are 

eligible to serve multiple but not successive terms. If the reauthorization of the 

2020 USGSA extends the terms of service for GIAC members, the committee 

recommends that the Secretary extend current GIAC member terms according to 

this policy. 

14 in favor

1 nay

Nonuse of Service Exception

3. The GIAC Committee recommends implementation of the non-use of service 

exception be executed in a manner that is transparent, consistent, and nonsubjective. Further, the committee supports the FGIS’s plan to conduct an 

advanced notice of proposed rulemaking on exceptions in order to provide a 

transparent process for non-use of service exceptions.

14 in Favor

1 Nay
FGIS-FDA Memorandum of Understanding Update

4. The GIAC recommends the FGIS work with FDA to update their MOU to define a 

timeline (the shorter the better) to address actionable items referred to them by 

FGIS, and have clarification on the discrepancy and potential remediation 

solutions, whether from the FGIS, FDA, or the party involved.

15 in favor

0 nay

Review of Geographic Boundaries

5. The GIAC committee recommends a comprehensive survey of the market and 

scope of service needs in each boundary for official grain inspection services and 

the number of the official agencies. Since FGIS was created in 1976, there have 

been significant changes in the number and operations of both grain handling 

facilities and officially designated inspection agencies; the amount of grain and 

oilseeds handled and processed within each geographic boundary; and the 

number of quality attributes and other quality tests conducted by these agencies. 

The Advisory Committee believes these changes in the domestic marketplace, 

necessitate that FGIS comprehensively update information and data upon which 

the geographic boundaries are based. 

FGIS can make recommendations, if necessary, to modify the boundaries based 

upon the comprehensively updated information and data gathered through the 

review in order to provide more reliable, uninterrupted, consistent and costeffective service to grain handling facilities.

14 in Favor

1 Nay

Motion(s) which Failed

1. The GIAC Committee recommends implementation of the non-use of service 

exception be executed in a manner that is transparent, consistent and nonsubjective. The GIAC committee recommends that the FGIS maintain 

transparency and utilize pre-2017 factors when considering requests from grain 

elevators prior to the completion of a more detailed exceptions policy. Further, 
the committee supports the agency’s plan to conduct an advanced notice of 

proposed rulemaking on exceptions in order to provide a transparent process for 

non-use of service exceptions.

8 Nays

5 in Favor

2 Abstain