The Committee on Small Business Subcommittee on Agriculture, Energy and Trade will meet for a hearing titled, “Improving Size Standards for Small Farmers and Ranchers.”  The hearing is scheduled to begin at 10:00 A.M. on Thursday, November 19, 2015 in Room 2360 of the Rayburn House Office Building. 

The Subcommittee will examine H.R. 3714, the “Small Agriculture Producer Size Standards Improvements Act of 2015.”  The bill would amend the Small Business Act and require the Small Business Administration (SBA) to establish small business size standards for agricultural producers through the notice and comment rulemaking process.  In contrast to the size standards established for all other industries by the SBA, the size standard for agriculture enterprises is established by statute and has not been updated in 15 years.

Chairman Curbelo
Opening Statement

Witnesses:

Panel I
The Honorable Mike Bost, (IL-12)
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC
Testimony

Panel II
Nicholas D. Paulson, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Agricultural and Consumer Economics
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Urbana, IL
Testimony
Disclosure

Mr. Jeff Beasley
Co-owner
Beasley & Sons Livestock
Creal Springs, IL
*Testifying on behalf of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
Testimony
Disclosure

Mr. Larry Burgin
Owner
Mushkoday Farm
Delhi, NY
*Testifying on behalf of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives
Testimony
Disclosure

Mr. Robert Guenther
Senior Vice President, Public Policy
United Fresh Produce Association
Washington, DC
Testimony
Disclosure