Agriculture and Related Agencies: FY2015 Appropriations [July 30, 2014]   [open pdf - 0B]

"The annual Agriculture appropriations bill provides funding for all of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) except the Forest Service. It also includes the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and--in the House bill and in enacted bills in even-numbered fiscal years--the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). [...] Notable policy riders affecting the Agriculture appropriation bill this year include limitations on implementing nutrition standards for the school meals programs (particularly a waiver in the House-reported bill) and provisions in both bills to prevent USDA from excluding white potatoes from the WIC [Women, Infants, and Children] program. Also, the House bill would restrict USDA from implementing some rules about livestock and poultry marketing practices and some country-of-origin labeling regulations. Both bills continue a provision to prevent federal inspection of horse slaughter facilities, and a House floor amendment was adopted for local and regional international food aid purchases."