Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Budget Chairman Jodey Arrington (TX-19) introduced the USDA Communication Regarding Oversight of Pesticides (CROP) Act of 2025, legislation to require the USDA Office of Pest Management Policy (OPMP), which frequently communicates with producers, to have a meaningful voice in the regulation of crop protection products.

This legislation is being led in the Senate by Sen. Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-KS) and is co-led by Rep. Mark Alford (R-MO) in the House. 

“There are no better stewards of God’s creation than Rural America’s farmers and ranchers whose livelihoods, families, and way of life depend on the land,” said Chairman Arrington. “However, in an effort to advance their extreme climate agenda, the Biden administration’s army of far-Left Washington bureaucrats sidelined producers and ignored farmers’ expertise when setting crop-protection rules. The CROP Act ensures those who grow our food - those who feed our nation and the world - have a voice in how to safeguard their harvests, keep affordable groceries on the shelves, and be the best stewards of our nation’s land.”

“Responsible use of crop protection tools like pesticides is vital to the success of farmers and ranchers in Missouri and across America,” said Rep. Alford. “It’s critical that the Environmental Protection Agency uses the sound science—not radical Green New Scam activism—when issuing registration decisions regarding these crucial tools. Our legislation provides the United States Department of Agriculture’s Office of Pesticide Management Policy a clearly defined role to work with EPA in this process, ensuring those who understand the needs of farmers are at the table.”  

“For our producers to work efficiently and be good stewards of their land and environment, it is vital they have access to safe and effective pesticides,” said Senator Marshall. “The EPA’s work reviewing new and existing pesticides, while providing strict application guidelines to our nation’s producers, should not operate autonomously of the important work that the USDA is doing in the Office of Pesticides Management Policy. The USDA understands the nuances of agricultural practices, and OPMP should play a greater role in helping the EPA issue guidance that utilizes the best available science and research. Our legislation makes sure that our agencies can work together throughout the pesticide regulation process.”

“CropLife America (CLA) appreciates the work of Congressman Arrington, Congressman Alford, and Senator Marshall to improve the coordination between the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),” said Alexandra Dunn, President and CEO of CropLife America. “It is imperative that the agencies build on their practice of working together to help ensure the most up to date, scientifically-sound data is available when pesticide registration decisions are made. This Act provides greater opportunity for USDA’s Office of Pest Management Policy (OPMP) to be engaged and heard in the pesticide registration process. OPMP’s leveraging of USDA’s broad experience with the agricultural sector will assist both the EPA’s scientists and better represent the farmers and ranchers around the country who rely on these products.” 

“Growers deserve a predictable regulatory system and to be assured that federal agencies are communicating product uses, benefits and risk mitigation practices growers already have in place,” said Amy France, Chairman of National Sorghum Producers. “Too often EPA moves forward without fully considering the input of USDA and the growers who use the products. This bill represents a significant step toward addressing this perennial problem.”

Background: 

• Currently, the OPMP provides feedback to the EPA on the safe use of crop protection products, but EPA is not required to respond or consider OPMP’s guidance, giving the EPA disproportionate input in regulation.
• The CROP Act will create a more equitable balance of USDA and EPA input, ensuring that regulations reflect both producer and environmental considerations. 
• U.S. farmers and ranchers are coping with record inflation and broken supply chains — the last thing they need is the severe limitation of traditional farming tools and methods. If these producers lose the ability to use certain crop protection products, farms will be forced to forgo conservation practices, like no-till farming, and revert to full tillage methods to control pests. 
• It is vital that OPMP, which coordinates frequently with producers, has a role in this process to help EPA use the best science possible in conducting pesticide registrations and rulemakings to ensure users are not being subject to unnecessary, unscientific conditions. 

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