Sponsors (2)
Mandates risk-based annual residue testing of imported bulk organic feedstuffs, bars shipments exceeding NOP residue limits from organic sale, and requires annual reporting to Congress.
Official title: To require the Secretary of Agriculture to submit to Congress a report on residue testing for all imported organic feedstuffs shipped in bulk, and for other purposes.
Introduced June 24, 2026 by Shontel M. Brown · Last progress June 24, 2026
The bill tightens testing, reporting, and import controls to better protect organic feed safety and rebuild trust in organic labels, but it does so at the cost of new compliance burdens, potential supply disruptions, and added USDA resource needs.
Farmers, livestock owners, and consumers get stronger protections because the bill requires regular testing, reporting, and can bar imported organic feedstuffs that exceed residue limits, reducing the risk that contaminated inputs reach animals or the food supply.
Taxpayers and state/federal regulators benefit from improved, risk‑based testing protocols and interagency coordination (including DHS consultation) plus annual reporting, which should enable more targeted enforcement and better-informed regulatory decisions over time.
Importers, carriers, and organic producers get clearer rules on when bulk-handling rules and NOP import certificates apply (by clarifying 'shipped in bulk' and excluding packaged goods), reducing uncertainty about compliance and the risk of inadvertent violations.
Importers, packagers, small feed businesses, and farmers will face higher compliance and administrative costs (testing, certificates, verification) and more shipment rejections, which can raise input prices for farmers and consumers and harm small businesses' competitiveness.
USDA will need more staff time and funding to prepare detailed annual reports, implement expanded testing, and carry out enforcement, potentially diverting resources from other programs and creating budgetary pressure.
Barring contaminated imports from organic sale and intensified testing could disrupt supply chains and availability of organic feed, causing short‑term shortages and higher costs for livestock producers and rural communities.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to create and apply risk-based protocols to select imported bulk organic feedstuffs for annual residue testing, publish (confidentially) an annually updated list of covered feedstuffs, and bar any shipment with prohibited-substance residues above NOP-allowed levels from being sold or labeled as organic. The Secretary must report to Congress within 180 days and annually thereafter on testing frequency, methods, results, standards, and actions taken.