Ricketts, Smith Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Strengthen Organic Import Verification WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Pete Ricketts (R-NE) and Tina Smith (D-MN) introduced the Organic Imports Verification Act. The bipartisan legislation would protect American organic farmers from fraudulent organic imports.
Introduce and support bipartisan legislation to strengthen organic import verification and protect American organic farmers from fraudulent organic imports.
Occurrences
Evidence
On April 9, 2025, Senator Pete Ricketts introduced the Organic Imports Verification Act of 2025 (S.1398) in the Senate. The bill was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
In April 2025, Senators Pete Ricketts and Tina Smith introduced legislation to promote organic integrity by requiring the USDA to test high-risk bulk imports of organic feedstuffs for residues of substances prohibited in organic production.
Senator Pete Ricketts introduced the Organic Imports Verification Act of 2025 (S.1398) on April 9, 2025. The bill was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
The Cornucopia Institute expressed strong support for the proposed Organic Imports Verification Act of 2025, highlighting its potential to enhance oversight and prevent organic import fraud.
The USDA's Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE) final rule, implemented on March 19, 2024, enhances oversight of organic imports, including mandatory NOP Import Certificates for all organic shipments entering the U.S.
The USDA confirmed that, starting July 15, 2025, all importers of organic products into the U.S. must be certified under USDA organic regulations by a USDA-accredited certifier.
Senators Ricketts and Smith introduced a bill to require USDA testing of high-risk organic feedstuff imports for prohibited substances.
On April 9, 2025, Senator Pete Ricketts introduced the Organic Imports Verification Act of 2025 (S.1398) to enhance verification of organic imports. The bill was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
On April 9, 2025, Senators Pete Ricketts and Tina Smith introduced the Organic Imports Verification Act of 2025 to promote organic integrity by requiring the USDA to test high-risk bulk imports of organic feedstuffs for prohibited substances. The bill aims to protect domestic organic producers from fraudulent imports.
The Organic Imports Verification Act of 2025, introduced by Senator Ricketts, mandates the Secretary of Agriculture to submit annual reports to Congress on residue testing for all imported organic feedstuffs shipped in bulk. It also requires the development of risk-based protocols for determining high-risk organic feedstuffs and mandates corrective actions if prohibited substances are detected.
As of April 9, 2025, the Organic Imports Verification Act of 2025 had two cosponsors: Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) and Senator Tim Scott (R-SC), indicating bipartisan support for the legislation.
The Organic Farmers Association supports the Organic Imports Verification Act of 2025, introduced by Senators Ricketts and Smith, as a measure to prevent organic import fraud and create a fair domestic marketplace. The association urges farmers to contact their Senators to support the legislation.
The Organic Imports Verification Act of 2025 was introduced by Senator Ricketts on April 9, 2025, and referred to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. As of April 23, 2026, there have been no further actions or updates on the bill's progress.
Congress.gov shows S.1398 was introduced by Sen. Pete Ricketts on 2025-04-09 and read twice and referred to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry; the tracker still lists the bill as Introduced.
Ricketts's office says he and Sen. Tina Smith introduced the Organic Imports Verification Act to protect American organic farmers from fraudulent organic imports, and says the bill had bipartisan support from cosponsor Tim Scott.
Sponsor: Sen. Ricketts, Pete [R-NE] (Introduced 04/09/2025). Latest Action: Senate - 04/09/2025 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. This bill has the status Introduced. Cosponsors (2).
Mr. Ricketts (for himself, Ms. Smith, and Mr. Scott of South Carolina) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
To require the Secretary of Agriculture to submit to Congress a report on residue testing for all imported organic feedstuffs shipped in bulk, and for other purposes. This Act may be cited as the “Organic Imports Verification Act of 2025”.
The Secretary ... shall develop and regularly update risk-based protocols for determining which imported organic feedstuffs shall be included ... and determining necessary parameters of residue testing for those imported organic feedstuffs.
If any residue testing required under subsection (c) indicates any detectable prohibited substance ... the applicable shipment ... shall be excluded from organic sale; and may not be sold, labeled, or represented as organically produced.
Senator Tina Smith ... Party Democratic. Senate Minnesota 115th-119th (2018-Present).
Senator Tim Scott ... Party Republican. Senate South Carolina 113th-119th (2013-Present).
Senator Pete Ricketts ... Party Republican. Senate Nebraska 118th-119th (2023-Present).
Assessments
The promise was to introduce and support bipartisan legislation, not necessarily to enact the policy. In the 119th Congress, Sen. Pete Ricketts introduced S.1398, the Organic Imports Verification Act of 2025, on April 9, 2025, with bipartisan backing including Democratic Sen. Tina Smith and Republican Sen. Tim Scott. The bill directly targets organic import verification and fraudulent organic imports through residue testing, risk-based protocols, and enforcement consequences. Although it remained referred to committee, the promised legislative introduction and bipartisan support occurred during Ricketts's Senate term.
The promise was to introduce and support bipartisan legislation, not necessarily to enact it. In the 119th Congress, Pete Ricketts introduced S.1398, the Organic Imports Verification Act of 2025, on April 9, 2025, with bipartisan support including Democratic Sen. Tina Smith and Republican Sen. Tim Scott. The bill directly addresses organic import verification and fraudulent organic imports. Although it remained referred to committee and was not enacted, the stated promised action was introduction and support of bipartisan legislation, which was fulfilled during his Senate term.
Senator Pete Ricketts fulfilled the promise to introduce and support bipartisan legislation to strengthen organic import verification, as evidenced by the introduction of the Organic Imports Verification Act of 2025 with bipartisan cosponsors. However, there is no evidence that the legislation was passed or enacted, and as of April 2026, no further action had been taken on the bill beyond referral to committee. Related regulatory actions by USDA were already underway and not directly attributable to Ricketts' legislative promise. Thus, while there was serious and substantive effort, the deliverable policy outcome was not realized.
Senator Pete Ricketts fulfilled the promise by introducing and supporting bipartisan legislation—specifically the Organic Imports Verification Act of 2025 (S.1398) and associated bipartisan measures—aimed at strengthening organic import verification and combatting fraud. Multiple pieces of evidence confirm his legislative activity, the bipartisan nature, and the focus on organic import verification. Additionally, regulatory actions (SOE rule) aligned with the objectives were enacted during the same term. Therefore, the intent and concrete action of introducing and supporting relevant, bipartisan legislation match the promise.
Senator Pete Ricketts introduced bipartisan legislation to strengthen organic import verification, fulfilling the 'introduce and support bipartisan legislation' portion of the promise. However, based on the evidence, the bill was introduced and referred to committee but has not been enacted or shown to have been signed into law. Thus, while the legislative effort was significant and bipartisan, the final outcome—actual implementation or passage—was not demonstrated by the available evidence.