Freeing Agriculture to Reap More Act

Bill: 112-hr-3323
Sponsor: Rep. Huelskamp, Tim [R-KS-1]
Introduced: 2011-11-02 in the House
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Advisory bodies
Agricultural conservation and pollution
Agricultural equipment and machinery
Air quality
Animal protection and human-animal relationships
Banking and financial institutions regulation
Climate change and greenhouse gases
Commodities markets
Commodity Futures Trading Commission
Congressional oversight
Department of Labor
Department of Transportation
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Hazardous wastes and toxic substances
Inflation and prices
Labor standards
Land use and conservation
Licensing and registrations
Livestock
Migrant, seasonal, agricultural labor
Motor carriers
Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission
Pest management
Pollution liability
Public-private cooperation
Rural conditions and development
Securities
Tax administration and collection, taxpayers
Transportation employees
Transportation safety and security
Water quality
Worker safety and health
Youth employment and child labor

Summary:
action_date: 2011-11-02
text: 
Freeing Agriculture to Reap More Act - Amends the Clean Air Act to prohibit, subject to exemptions, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from promulgating any regulation concerning, taking action relating to, or taking into consideration the emission of a greenhouse gas (GHG) to address climate change. Excludes GHGs from the definition of "air pollutant" for purposes of addressing climate change.
 
Repeals and makes ineffective specified rules and actions concerning permit requirements or emission standards for GHGs to address climate change.
 
Exempts covered farm vehicles and operators of such vehicles from specified requirements governing commercial motor vehicles and operators.
 
Prohibits the Administrator from proposing, finalizing, implementing, or enforcing any regulation that revises the national primary ambient air quality standard or the national secondary ambient air quality standard applicable to coarse particulate matter (generally referred to as PM10) and that is proposed or finalized on or after this Act's enactment if the Administrator determines that such regulation will incur compliance costs in the United States of more than $100 million annually.
 
Prohibits occupational safety and health standards from being construed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) as prohibiting an employee from working inside a grain bin while a sweep auger is in operation. 
 
Requires the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to exclude a service vehicle carrying diesel fuel in quantities of 3,785 liters (1,000 gallons) or less from requirements concerning transporting hazardous material and obtaining a hazardous material endorsement if such vehicle is: (1) driven by a class A commercial driver's license holder who is a custom harvester, an agricultural retailer, an agricultural business employee, an agricultural cooperative employee, or an agricultural producer; and (2) clearly marked with a placard reading &quot;Diesel Fuel.&quot; 
 
Prohibits the Administrator and the Secretary of the Army from altering the meaning of the terms &quot;navigable waters&quot; and &quot;waters of the United States&quot; in relation to regulations promulgated pursuant to the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act [CWA]).
 
Prohibits federal agencies, in carrying out any Act or program to reduce the effects of GHG emissions on climate change, from imposing a fee or tax on gaseous emissions emitted directly by livestock. 
 
Amends the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and the CWA to prohibit the Administrator or a state from requiring a permit for a discharge of a pesticide authorized for sale, distribution, or use under such Acts from a point source into navigable waters. Provides that such prohibition does not apply to specified discharges of pesticides, including stormwater discharges, manufacturing or industrial effluent, treatment works effluent, or discharges incidental to the normal operation of a vessel.
 
Amends the Animal Welfare Act to exclude from the meaning of &quot;dealer&quot; a person who does not sell wild animals, dogs, or cats, and who derives no more that $5,000 (currently $500) gross income from the sale of other animals.
 
Prohibits the Secretary of Agriculture from using funds made available to the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide funds or administrative support for the White House Rural Council.
 
Prohibits the Administrator from taking into consideration indirect emissions from land use changes while establishing or determining compliance with any requirement or limitation under the Clean Air Act. Excludes from the meaning of "lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions&quot; indirect emissions from land use changes. 
 
Amends the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act to require the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the economic impact of derivatives regulations prior to implementing final regulations.
 
Amends the Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act of 1999 to revise provisions concerning transportation of agricultural commodities and farm supplies by exempting areas within a 150 (currently 100) air-mile radius from the source of the commodities or the distribution point for the farm supplies from requirements regarding maximum driving and on-duty time for drivers used by motor carriers.
 
Prohibits the Secretary of Labor from initiating the rulemaking proposed and published in the Federal Register on September 2, 2011, and promulgating any regulations or revisions described in such proposed rulemaking related to permissible employment of minors in agricultural and nonagricultural occupations.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-11-04
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Power.
action_date: 2011-11-03
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.
action_date: 2011-11-03
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials.
action_date: 2011-11-03
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.
action_date: 2011-11-02
text: Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Transportation and Infrastructure, Ways and Means, and Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2011-11-02
text: Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Transportation and Infrastructure, Ways and Means, and Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2011-11-02
text: Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Transportation and Infrastructure, Ways and Means, and Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2011-11-02
text: Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Transportation and Infrastructure, Ways and Means, and Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2011-11-02
text: Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Transportation and Infrastructure, Ways and Means, and Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2011-11-02
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H7219)
action_date: 2011-11-02
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2011-11-02
text: Introduced in House