With the House leaving for its five-week August recess this week and the Senate following next week, attention is turning to the long list of legislative business Congress must address following Labor Day.

News reports this week indicate that the Senate Agriculture Committee will address two issues of interest to the American Soybean Association (ASA): reauthorizations of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and child nutrition programs.

Congress last reauthorized the CFTC as part of the 2008 farm bill, but the policy expired in 2013 and has been extended on a short-term basis since. The House passed its reauthorization bill in June. Chairman Pat Roberts also announced the committee will mark up legislation to reauthorize child nutrition programs on Sept. 17.

ASA supports a provision to reduce the paperwork burden for parents and schools by removing the additional requirement that parents or doctors submit a written statement for children who do not drink milk then having schools submit it to the state agency in order for a school to serve soymilk to the child.

Child nutrition programs expire on Sept. 30. The Child Nutrition and Womens, Infants and Children (WIC) Reauthorization Act authorizes all of the federal child nutrition programs, including the School Breakfast, National School Lunch, Child and Adult Care Food, Summer Food Service and the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Programs and WIC.