The Opportunities for Fairness in Farming Act of 2025 would set rules for agricultural commodity promotion programs, often called checkoff programs. For programs with more than $20 million in annual assessment revenue, boards generally could not contract with organizations that work to influence agriculture-related government policy. The bill also bars conflicts of interest, anticompetitive conduct, deceptive practices, and actions that negatively portray another agricultural commodity or product. The contract restriction would not apply to certain research, extension, and education agreements with colleges and universities.
The bill would require contractors to provide boards with quarterly records of funds and related costs. Boards would publish those records, budgets, and payments, including the payment purpose and recipient details. The Agriculture Department Inspector General and the Comptroller General would conduct audits and report on compliance. The bill was introduced and referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
The public could inspect published records about program spending. Farmers who pay assessments to a covered program may be affected by the rules for how its board contracts and spends funds. The bill does not describe a direct service or benefit for individuals.
No publicly available information.
The bill's findings state that stronger separation from policy groups, conflict-of-interest rules, competition protections, and public spending records are needed to prevent misuse of checkoff funds.
No publicly available information.