Industry Info
Senate Acts Quickly to Move Farm Bill,
Advances Some Animal Health Priorities
Following through on a commit-
ment to pass a farm bill prior to the
Fourth of July recess, on Thursday
evening, June 28, the Senate passed
the Agriculture Improvement Act of
2018 (S. 3042) by a vote of 86 to 11.
Unlike the House version of the bill
that narrowly passed by a two vote
margin on June 21, the Senate bill
moved forward with strong, biparti-
san support. Fortunately for the horse
industry, the Senate package resem-
bles the House version by addressing
many of the sector’s top animal health
priorities. Highlights include autho-
rization of a new National Animal
Disaster Preparedness and Response
(NADPR) program; support for the
National Animal Health Laboratory
Network (NAHLN); and creation of
the National Animal Health Vaccine
Bank that will focus on risks posed by
Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD).
With respect to authorization of
animal health programs, a prelim-
inary review shows that the Senate
bill more closely aligns with horse
industry priorities than the House
bill. For example, the Senate bill
authorizes $30 million each year
to fund the NAHLN, matching the
request from the horse industry and
its partners. Although the bill doesn’t
authorize specific dollar amounts for
the NADPR and the vaccine banks,
it creates flexibility by “authorizing
sums as necessary” to implement the
programs.
AHC will continue to review the
senate version of the bill for provi-
sions that could impact the industry,
including programs administered by
the Department of Agriculture’s For-
eign Agriculture Service that could
help develop international markets
for the sector. Now that each cham-
ber has reported its respective bill,
Congress will convene a House and
Senate Conference Committee to ne-
gotiate a final package to send to the
White House for enactment. AHC
is already reaching out to congres-
sional negotiators to underscore the
industry’s priorities as the legislation
moves forward. For more informa-
tion related to farm legislation and
related advocacy, please contact
Bryan Brendle, Director of Policy and
Legislative Affairs, at 202-296-4031.
To view a copy of a summary of the
bill, please click here:
https://www.agriculture.senate.
gov/2018-farm-bill
Attendees Capitalize on AHC Issues Forum
Presentations provided valuable insight to all segments of the industry
On Tuesday, June 12th, attendees
of the American Horse Council’s
(AHC) 2018 National Issues Fo-
rum, sponsored by Luitpold Animal
Health, gathered to learn more about
the theme of “Let’s Capitalize On
It!” With a variety of speakers from
different trades, attendees gained
valuable insight as to how the horse
industry can learn from other indus-
tries, utilize data that has been col-
lected about our own industry, and
capitalize on opportunities to grow
and expand interests in horses.
The Morning Session started with
8 • Walking On
Luis Benitez, the director of the new-
ly created Colorado Outdoor Recre-
ation Industry Office (OREC). OREC
is one of only seven offices in the
nation that provides a central point
of contact, advocacy and resources at
the state level for the diverse constit-
uents, businesses and communities
that rely on the continued health
of the outdoor recreation industry.
He spoke about how the recreation
industry has become innovative in its
way to get people to experience the
outdoors, and how the equine indus-
try can draw on those innovations to
introduce people to horses. “When
you drive innovations, you cultivate
healthy outdoor lifestyles,” said Mr.
Benitez. “When you conserve public
lands and waters, you spark sustain-
able economic development for the
outdoor recreation industry.” He left
the crowd with his trademark mes-
sage: “If you really challenge yourself,
you can truly change your world.”
The “Survey Says” panel featured
Charlotte Hansen from the Ameri-
can Veterinary Medical Association
(AVMA), Jody McDaniel of the
United States Department of Agricul-