USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) will publish a proposed rule to amend the orders and/or rules and regulations for 19 of the 22 national commodity research and promotion programs it oversees. The proposed rule would establish a standardized, uniform process for removing members of commodity research and promotion program boards and councils, as well as their staff, if an individual fails to perform duties or engages in dishonest actions or willful misconduct.
Each program is administered by a board or council comprised of industry stakeholders appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture to chart the course of promotion and research activities within their industry. The boards and councils hire staff to carry out day-to-day business operations.
While the members and staff of research and promotion program boards and councils are not USDA employees, USDA is responsible for oversight of the boards and councils. It is important that USDA be able to address allegations of board and staff member misconduct by applying consistent standards and protocols across all research and promotion programs.
The proposed amendments would not restrict any of the boards or councils from initiating their own removal actions. The amendments are intended to strengthen USDA’s ability to support the boards in their important work. Three programs (Soybeans, Sorghum and Lamb) already have uniform authority for removing personnel. These provisions will remain the same, and are the model for the provisions in the proposed rule.
The proposed rule will publish soon in the Federal Register. Comments may be summited online at www.regulations.gov. An advance copy of the proposed rule is available on the AMS website.