The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently signed a memorandum of understanding to provide farmers, ranchers, rural communities and small businesses with a direct line to report the regulations and rules driving up costs and impacting productivity.
Under the agreement, the USDA will operate a portal for receiving complaints involving federal agencies and will share submissions with the SBA’s Office of the National Ombudsman. The USDA will handle matters involving the department through designated channels while the SBA will refer complaints involving all other agencies to the appropriate agencies for coordination and resolution.
“Producers and ranchers who feed this nation should never face the full power of government alone,” U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said. “This partnership with the SBA creates clear pathways for redress, ensures fairness in enforcement, and demonstrates that Washington stands with, not against, the hardworking Americans who sustain our country. Through the USDA Lawfare Portal and interagency collaboration, we are delivering real protection under the Farmer and Rancher Freedom Framework.”
The agreement also authorizes the SBA to analyze complaint data to identify recurring lawfare practices and enforcement or regulatory issues that may be disproportionate, inconsistent, or abusive. The information will be used to advance deregulatory reform.