Members of the 119th Congress are voicing their support for dairy-related initiatives as bills are introduced or discussed during committee hearings. Here are some recent actions:

• The Dairy Nutrition Incentive Program Act of 2025 would provide Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, participants with a dollar-for-dollar match for the purchase of milk, cheese, yogurt and cultured dairy products. The bipartisan legislation was introduced in the U.S. Senate by Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) and Roger Marshall (R-Kansas) and the U.S. House of Representatives by Reps. Jim Costa (D-California) and Nick Langworthy (R-New York). The program would also expand the Healthy Fluid Milk Incentive (HFMI) projects to include whole and reduced-fat (2%) milk as well as additional dairy products including cheese and yogurt.
• The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act received testimony from lawmakers, nutrition experts and school officials during the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry hearing held on Tuesday. This bipartisan bill would restore whole and reduced-fat (2%) milk to the more than 30 million students who rely on school breakfast and lunch every day through the federal school meal programs. The hearing marks a critical next step in the legislative process for the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, which was approved by the U.S. House Education and Workforce Committee with a strong, bipartisan vote of 24-10 in February.
• The Safeguarding American Food and Export Trade Yields Act (SAFETY Act) was reintroduced by Sens. John Thune (R-South Dakota), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin), Marshall and Tina Smith (D-Minnesota) in the Senate and Reps. Dusty Johnson (R-South Dakota), Costa, Michelle Fischbach (R-Minnesota) and Jimmy Panetta (D-California) in the House. The bipartisan legislation would direct the USDA to partner with the U.S. trade representative to prioritize the protection of common names like “Parmesan” and “bologna” in international trade negotiations. Originally introduced in May 2023, the bill represents the first farm bill effort on common names.
• A coalition of more than 100 farmer and cooperative organizations sent a joint letter to House and Senate leaders to urge Congress to permanently extend the expiring provision of Section 199A in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. Also known as the qualified business income deduction, it provides a deduction of up to 20% on qualified business income for certain pass-through entities, including partnerships, S-corporations and sole proprietorships. The Section 199A deduction is one of several tax breaks that will expire at the end of this year without congressional action.

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