By Jessica Domel
Multimedia Reporter

Congress has taken steps to ensure key provisions in the act that provides procedures for grain inspections and weighing, the U.S. Grains Standards Act, do not expire in a few months.

After a short business meeting on July 22, the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture advanced the U.S. Grain Standards Reauthorization Act of 2025 (HR 4550) in a unanimous vote.

“This essential law has shaped the U.S. grain and oil seed industry for more than a century. Originally enacted in 1916, the United States Grain Standards Act provides the federal government with the authority to establish official marketing standards for grains and oil seeds, along with procedures for inspection and weighing,” Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA), House Ag Committee chair, said. “The standards are a cornerstone of our agricultural systems, supporting transparency, consistency and fairness across the supply chain. They help ensure that U.S. grain maintains its strong reputation for quality and reliability and global markets.”

The U.S. Grain Standards Act allows the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture to establish official marketing or quality standards for barley, canola, corn, flaxseed, mixed grain, oats, rye, sorghum, soybeans, sunflower seed, wheat and triticale.

“Producers, processors, exporters and buyers all rely on the integrity and accuracy of the official grain inspection and weighing services,” Thompson said. “These services not only help farmers receive a premium for their crops but also give buyers a certainty they’re receiving that they’re receiving the quality they’ve come to expect.”

While much of the act is permanently authorized, such as mandatory inspection and weighing of exported grain, there are still key provisions that are set to expire Sept. 30.

“A lapse in authorization could create significant disruption in inspection and weighing processes leading to uncertainty in both domestic and international markets,” Thompson said. “U.S. competitiveness in global markets depends on uninterrupted, consistent and cost-effective inspection services.”

The expiring provisions authorize annual appropriations for standard development and maintenance, provide the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) with authority to charge fees for the supervision of inspections and weighing, apply an administrative/supervisory cost cap and authorize an advisory committee.

According to the Congressional Research Service, a lapse in these provisions, depending on its length, might disrupt aspects of the grain inspection and weighing program.

Inspections of exported grains are required by the Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS), which is under the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service.

The inspection of domestically-marketed grain is optional.

The legislation passed by the House Agriculture Committee addresses the expiring provisions and makes some changes.

“The legislation steers USDA to prioritize the modernization of grain grading technologies. The U.S. Grain Inspection System is known around the world for quality and reliability, yet as new technologies and new tests with improved speed, accuracy and consistency come into play, other countries may try to leap ahead of our high standards. We cannot rest on our laurels,” U.S. Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN), House Ag Committee ranking member, said. “By focusing USDA’s attention on modernization, we can continue to hold our place as the world’s gold standard ingrained inspection.”

HR 4550 also calls for updates to the Grain Inspection Advisory Committee (GIAC).

“We also heard testimony before the General Farm Commodities Risk Management and Credit subcommittee that the Grain Inspection Advisory Committee should be modified to enhance continuity. This need arises from USDA’s delays occurring under both Republican and Democratic administrations in naming replacement GIAC members,” Craig said. “When existing members leave today, a member of the GIAC may serve two consecutive terms but then must leave the committee when the second term expires. This can leave holes in GIAC membership, which can prevent the committee from meeting by allowing GIAC members in their second term to remain on the committee until replaced.”

Craig said that change will ensure the committee continues to function.

“The bill’s entire intention is to help ensure grain can get from our and grain elevators onto ships bound for overseas markets. Our grain farmers need to know that they can rely on the USDA as a reliable partner, not a roadblock to trade,” Craig said.

Prior to the House Ag hearing, the committee’s subcommittee on General Farm Commodities, Risk Management and Credit invited industry groups to testify on the U.S. Grain Standards Act.

The American Soybean Association (ASA) and the National Grain and Feed Association both encouraged Congress to take action to reauthorize the act before provisions expire Sept. 30.

ASA Secretary Dave Walton told the subcommittee, for most grain farmers, their sole interaction with FGIS and the Grain Standards Act is at an elevator.

“When I deliver my soybeans to the elevator, they’re then tested, sorted and consolidated into larger lots for eventual shipment,” Dave Walton, ASA secretary and soybean farmer, said. “The grain standards determine the price of farmer like me receives for their soybeans at the elevator, and I know the official grading grades provide our international customers with the knowledge that the commodity they receive has been assessed for quality purity and soundness.”

The system is important for farmers who rely on global markets for their crops, Walton noted.

“Global customers consider FGIS the international gold standard for grain grading inspections and carry the weight of the U.S. government, creating peace of mind for international customers and providing impartiality that private inspections may lack,” Walton said.

The U.S. Grain Standards Reauthorization Act of 2025 now awaits consideration on the full House floor.