SB 1398, the Organic Imports Verification Act of 2025, would require the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Agricultural Marketing Service, to produce an annual report to Congress on residue testing for imported organic feedstuffs shipped in bulk. The bill defines a subset of imported organic feedstuffs as “covered organic feedstuffs” and directs USDA to identify those products each year using risk-based protocols developed in consultation with the Department of Homeland Security and an interagency working group on organic imports.
The bill also requires USDA to conduct annual residue testing on each covered organic feedstuff and to report the frequency, methods, results, analytical standards, and any follow-up actions taken. If testing finds detectable prohibited substances above allowed levels, the affected shipment would be barred from organic sale and could not be sold, labeled, or represented as organic. The bill further requires the Secretary to establish and regularly update confidential lists of products selected for testing and to set testing parameters such as frequency, quantity, type, and responsibility for testing.
Impact
The bill would add new federal oversight requirements for imported organic feedstuffs shipped in bulk, building on existing authorities under the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 and related USDA regulations. It would not create a new organic certification system, but it would expand reporting, testing, and enforcement obligations for USDA and could affect importers, shippers, organic feed suppliers, and businesses that rely on bulk organic inputs. It also reinforces the authority to exclude shipments from organic markets when prohibited residues are detected above applicable thresholds.
Sentiment
There is no recorded committee transcript or vote history in the provided materials, so the bill’s sentiment can only be inferred from its sponsors and structure. The measure appears to be framed as a food integrity and import verification bill, suggesting support from lawmakers concerned about organic labeling enforcement, residue contamination, and import oversight. Its referral to the Senate Agriculture Committee indicates it is still in the early legislative process and has not yet generated documented floor debate or recorded opposition in the provided record.
Contention
The main likely point of contention is the balance between stronger organic import enforcement and the compliance burden on importers and the organic supply chain. Because the bill requires annual testing, confidential risk-based selection of products, and mandatory exclusion of shipments with prohibited residues, stakeholders may disagree over testing scope, cost, transparency, and whether the standards are sufficiently targeted. Another possible issue is how USDA would coordinate with DHS and state organic certification programs, and whether the bill could disrupt trade in bulk organic feedstuffs if testing is frequent or results in shipment exclusions.
A RESOLUTION to honor and congratulate Alyssa Clements upon winning second place in the 2026 American Farm Bureau Federation Convention national agricultural competition.
To amend the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a program under which the Secretary will award grants to specialty crop producers to acquire certain equipment and provide training with respect to the use of such equipment.