House Releases Agriculture Appropriations Draft Bill for FY15, Includes FDA Boost
The House Appropriations Committee would boost total funding for the Food and Drug Administration it its fiscal year 2015 Agriculture Appropriations draft bill, released on May 19. The draft legislation would provide total FDA funding, including revenue generated through user fees, of $4.4 billion, $98 million above fiscal year 2014 enacted levels, said the committee. The legislation roughly replicates the 2014 funding level for the Food Safety and Inspection Service. The draft legislation provides $142.5 billion in both discretionary and mandatory appropriations. That figure represents a $3 billion decrease from the fiscal year 2014 enacted level, according to the committee.
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
If your job depends on informed compliance, you need International Trade Today. Delivered every business day and available any time online, only International Trade Today helps you stay current on the increasingly complex international trade regulatory environment.
The draft provides more than $6.7 million in funding to carry out the Commodity Credit Corporation's Export Guarantee Program (here), but directs the transfer of the vast majority of those funds to the Foreign Agricultural Service and Farm Service Agency salaries and expenses. The draft bill also permits up to $50 million for Agriculture Department inspection and weighing services. The legislation allows for an increase of 10 percent on that ceiling if grain export activities require additional "supervision and oversight, or other uncontrollable factors occur." The Committee's Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Subcommittee will mark up the legislation on May 20 (here). The Senate will also mark up its version of the bill on the same day (here).