Bill would exclude biofuel crops from commodity rules

A new bill in Congress would change how crops used for biofuels are treated under federal agricultural commodity rules. H.R. 8762 was introduced in the House on Monday and referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.

The measure would amend the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act to exclude crops used to produce biofuel from being counted as an agricultural commodity under those rules. The proposal now sits with the House Committee on Agriculture, which handles federal policy on farm credit, commodity markets and energy programs.

For Wisconsin, the bill could matter because corn and other crops used in ethanol production are a major part of the farm economy. Any change to federal commodity policy could affect planting decisions, crop demand and the support farmers receive in markets tied to biofuel production.

The House Committee on Agriculture has not yet scheduled further action on the measure. If the panel advances it, the bill would still need approval from the full House and Senate before becoming law.