On Thursday, Reps. John Conyers (D-MI), Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, and Bill Shuster (R-PA) introduced H.R. 2695, the Credit Card Fair Fee Act. This legislation provides retailers with the authority to come together to negotiate on an equal footing with Visa and with MasterCard regarding interchange rates and merchant terms of acceptance. More details are available in today’s NACS Daily.
NACS members are encouraged to contact their Representatives and urge them to cosponsor this important legislation. Visit NACS grassroots page and send a letter to your representative today.
Staff Contact: Lyle Beckwith, (705) 518-4220
On Wednesday the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on draft legislation that would overhaul the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) food safety programs. The legislation would, for the first time, give the FDA mandatory recall authority. Currently, recalls are implemented at the discretion of the food manufacturer or producer. This bill would require manufacturers and producers to pay a “user fee” of $1,000 per facility per year to register with the FDA. This user fee is supposed to go towards increasing the quality and number of inspections and other improvements in food safety programs.
While the language is vague, it appears that retailers who have commissary operations or who “hold food for consumption” (as yet not clearly defined) will be affected by the proposal. What is clear is that retailers who already register with the FDA will be subject to these new regulations. Other provisions relevant to convenience retailers include traceability (tracking the movement of food from the farm to the consumer), required food safety plans and significant record keeping requirements.
The subcommittee is expected to mark up the draft bill next week with a full committee markup to quickly follow. While overall NACS supports the concept of ensuring the nation’s food supply is safe, we are working with industry reps and Congress to clarify provisions of the bill that are unclear, determine which provisions affect convenience retailers and ensure Congress understands the burden the proposal could place on convenience stores.
Staff Contact: Julie Fields, (703) 518-4251
On Wednesday, NACS joined other members of the Commodities Markets Oversight Coalition in a letter urging Congress to pass legislation to enhance transparency in the commodities futures markets and to limit certain activities in order to protect against market manipulation. Details are available in today’s NACS Daily.
Staff Contact: John Eichberger, (703) 518-4247
Healthcare reform is moving at a rapid pace in Washington. The biggest news this week is that President Obama confirmed his support for a government sponsored health insurance plan as an option for coverage. This proposal leads to discussion of another contentious debate – removing the tax deduction for employer-provided benefits from workers’ income and payroll taxes. Obama also made clear to Democratic leadership that he wanted to see a bill on his desk by October.
The Senate has been holding listening sessions and producing policy option white papers over the last month. The House is holding hearings in several committees while many members on both sides of the aisle have introduced piecemeal bills. It is expected that a comprehensive legislative draft will be released from both the House and the Senate next week.
NACS is monitoring the debate to identify any proposals that might affect convenience retailers and to ensure that Congress is aware of the industry’s position on those matters.
Staff Contact: Julie Fields, (703) 518-4251