United States Grain Standards Act of 1916
- Agricultural Appropriations Act of 1917
- Cotton Futures Act of 1916
- Cotton Futures Amendments
- Grain Grades Amendment
- Introduced in the House as H.R. 12717
- Committee consideration by House Agriculture Committee, Senate Agriculture and Forestry Committee
- Passed the House on April 28, 1916 (184-136)
- Passed the Senate on July 5, 1916 (30-28)
- Reported by the joint conference committee on August 3, 1916; agreed to by the House on August 3, 1916 (Passed) and by the Senate on August 3, 1916 (34-25)
- Signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson on August 11, 1916
The United States Grain Standards Act (USGSA) of 1916 (P.L. 64-190), as amended (7 U.S.C. 71 et seq.), authorizes the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration to establish official marketing standards (not health and safety standards) for grains and oilseeds, and requires that exported grains and oilseeds be officially weighed and inspected. Domestically marketed grain and oilseeds may be, but are not required to be, officially inspected. Export inspections are carried out by federal inspectors or by federally supervised state inspection agencies, called delegated official inspection agencies. Official inspections of domestically traded grain is done by federally supervised state agencies and private companies, called designated official inspection agencies. Typically, marketing standards describe the physical characteristics (such as weight, damaged kernels, foreign material, shrunken and broken kernels, and defects) of the commodity and serve as contract language to facilitate marketing. Official weighing and inspection is paid for on a fee-for service basis, not with federal funds. Major changes to the law were adopted in the USGSA Amendments of 1968, the USGSA of 1976 (P.L. 94-582), and the Grain Quality Improvement Act of 1986 (P.L. 99-641).
The act required official certification that export grain sold by grade had been inspected and weighed. It also provided for the establishment of official U.S. grain standards that were used to measure and describe the physical and biological properties of the grain at the time of inspection. It was the culmination of 25 years of investigation, public hearings, and debate. The rapid expansion of the U.S. grain industry created a need for a uniform system of grading in order to better facilitate trade. Independent attempts by local Chambers of Commerce, boards of trade, and major grain corporations to develop standards had resulted in inequalities among markets, emphasizing the need for Federal legislation to reduce the confusion and corruption that characterized the trade. As a result, the Department of Agriculture over time had established laboratory tests and conducted numerous interviews and hearings to identify the most urgent needs of the grain industry. The information became the basis for the legislation that was finally adopted. In Dec. 1914 and Jan. 1915, the House Agriculture Committee tossed around an early version of the bill called the "Moss Grain Grades Bill" sponsored by Rep. Hunter H. Moss Jr. (D) of West Virginia, but did not act on it because of exporting companies' pressure. The political situation had changed, however, as the election of 1916 approached.
References
- This article incorporates public domain material from Jasper Womach. Report for Congress: Agriculture: A Glossary of Terms, Programs, and Laws, 2005 Edition. Congressional Research Service.
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- Federal Farm Loan Act (1916)
- Agricultural Adjustment Act (1933)
- Agricultural Adjustment Act Amendment of 1935
- Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act of 1936
- Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938
- Agricultural Act of 1948
- Agricultural Act of 1949
- Agricultural Act of 1954
- Agricultural Act of 1956
- Agricultural Act of 1961
- Food and Agriculture Act of 1965
- Agricultural Act of 1970
- Agriculture and Consumer Protection Act of 1973
- Food and Agriculture Act of 1977
- Agriculture and Food Act of 1981
- Food Security Act of 1985
- Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990
- Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996
- Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002
- Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008
- Agricultural Act of 2014
- Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018
agricultural
legislation
- Hatch Act of 1887
- Agricultural Experiment Stations Act of 1887
- Agriculture Appropriation Act of 1905
- Agricultural Appropriations Act of 1922
- Cotton Futures Act (1914)
- Cotton Futures Act (1916)
- Grain Standards Act (1916)
- Wheat Price Guarantee Act (1919)
- Future Trading Act (1921)
- Grain Futures Act (1922)
- Capper–Volstead Act (1922)
- Agricultural Marketing Act (1929)
- Farm Credit Act of 1933
- Frazier–Lemke Farm Bankruptcy Act (1934)
- Bankhead–Jones Act of 1935
- Commodity Exchange Act (1936)
- Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act (1937)
- Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937
- Federal Seed Act of 1939
- Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act of 1954
- National Wool Act of 1954
- Federal Plant Pest Act of 1957
- Agricultural Fair Practices Act of 1967
- Farm Credit Act of 1971
- Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act of 1972
- Commodity Futures Trading Commission Act of 1974
- Agricultural Trade Act of 1978
- Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1980
- National Aquaculture Act of 1980
- Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act of 1983
- Extra-Long Staple Cotton Act of 1983
- Agricultural Credit Act of 1987
- Hunger Prevention Act of 1988
- Alien Species Prevention and Enforcement Act of 1992
- National Wool Act Amendments of 1993
- Federal Crop Insurance Reform and Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994
- Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998
- Agriculture Risk Protection Act of 2000