Legislative Activity

This resolution expresses support for designating March 18, 2025, as "National Agriculture Day." It recognizes and celebrates the significant impact of agriculture as a leading industry in the United States.

The APLUS Act directs the Secretary of Agriculture to update regulations, permitting market agencies to have financial interests in smaller meatpacking companies, defined by specific slaughter capacities. These market agencies must disclose these financial ties to livestock sellers. The Act does not reduce the Secretary's authority to enforce rules protecting producers, competition, and market integrity under existing law.

The "Rural Innovation and Small Business Support Act" directs the Small Business Administration to enhance outreach efforts in rural communities for the SBIR and STTR programs. This will be done by instructing federal agencies to conduct specific outreach to small businesses in rural areas, with the goal of increasing their participation in these programs.

This bill supports designating February 9, 2025, as the inaugural "Gulf of America Day" to celebrate the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico. It recognizes Executive Order 14172, which directed the Secretary of the Interior to officially rename the United States Continental Shelf area bordering Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida, extending to the seaward boundaries with Mexico and Cuba. The commemoration also marks President Trump's visit to the Gulf of America on February 9, 2025. The bill emphasizes the importance of this area to the nation.