National FFA Organization's Federal Charter Amendments Act

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise today in support of H.R. 439, the National FFA Organization's Federal Charter Amendments Act.

The Future Farmers of America was founded in 1928 to advance agricultural education and improve the quality of life of farming families across the country.

At the first National FFA Convention in Kansas City, there were 33 delegates from 18 States. At the convention in 1929, 33 States were represented, and FFA had swelled to over 30,000 members nationwide. By 1939, FFA had become so large, it required a national headquarters, so it purchased part of George Washington's estate in Alexandria, Virginia, and began construction.

During World War II, more than 138,000 FFA members were serving in the armed services. In 1949, the FFA introduced its first international exchange program with the Young Farmers Club of Great Britain.

In 1950, Harry Truman signed a bill to grant the FFA a Federal charter, directing that a Department of Education staff member be the national FFA adviser. In 1959, President Truman became the first of a long line of Presidents to speak at the FFA National Convention.

In 1969, the FFA created the Washington Leadership Conference to help students become more engaged citizens and to make a difference in their communities.

Following Hurricane Katrina, the National FFA launched Seeds of Hope to help rebuild the Gulf Coast agricultural programs. This effort, combined with the National FFA Foundation, raised over $10 million for FFA's programs and services.

Since its creation, FFA has grown to include more than 600,000 members across the country. It has built relationships with agricultural organizations around the world.

Under FFA, students between the ages of 12 and 21 can be enrolled in a systematic course of instruction in agricultural education.

Beyond the FFA's rich national history, it has held a special place in my home State of Georgia for decades. Georgia has the third largest State association, with more than 42,000 members. There are more than 342 chapters and more than 475 agricultural education teachers in the State.

Georgia's FFA has also expanded its scholarship awards to help students access these agricultural education programs and reward the hard work of students. The Georgia FFA Association has worked to improve career opportunities of its members through partnership programs with businesses, educators, and legislators.

Today's legislation makes the necessary amendments to the National FFA Organization's charter to allow for student officer vice presidents, to reflect the regional diversity of the United States. It also provides flexibility for national officers to reduce delays caused by vacant seats on the national board.

These amendments will ensure the FFA's purpose matches the innovative and hands-on approach that many agriculture educations are implementing across the country.

I would like to thank Representative James Langevin and Representative Glenn Thompson for their work on this legislation and for their support of FFA and agricultural learning.

Mr. Speaker, I would also be remiss if I did not say that FFA is an organization that, when you see the blue jackets on, especially from my part of the world, it is something that also teaches young people leadership and vocal skills. It also is very special to my heart.

Mr. Sutton was the agricultural and FFA adviser in North Hall High School when my daughter attended. My daughter, as many of you know, has spina bifida, and many of her recreational activities and others were limited. She got into agriculture and joined the FFA. She got into their speaker's program, and she would actually participate in the extemporaneous speaker's program.

I watched this young lady take an FFA experience; I watched Mr. Sutton, a man of integrity and character who led the blue jackets in North Hall High School. When she would go, when they couldn't get access to a handicap bus, he would actually physically pick her wheelchair up and take her onto the bus himself.

As a dad and as a Congressman, the blue jackets mean a lot; and when you see them coming, you know that there is good work being done. I could not be more proud to stand here today to ask for support for this legislation, for this charter to be renewed, for when we see agriculture in our economy, which is the most dominant industry we have, we know FFA stands behind it.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, at this time, it is my privilege to yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson).

Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 439, and I would ask for favorable consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Georgia, and I congratulate him and Mr. Chabot for this legislation. I am glad that this is one of the early bills that we are moving forward. It sets the tone for this Congress, and it sets the tone for bipartisanship. It also sets the tone for the Democratic-led Congress on the continuation of working on the idea of ensuring that justice is truly rendered.

This bill, H.R. 498, the Clean Up the Code Act of 2017, essentially repeals many unused statutes currently in the criminal code. Mr. Speaker, you have to pay a fine, but some of them even have jail time. It is right in line with the concept of ending mass incarceration just to incarcerate.

It is well-known that this Nation has the largest number of people incarcerated in Western civilization, some 2 million-plus, added to, of course, by a number of individuals who are being held in detention centers across the Nation. It is emblematic of what is terribly wrong with our criminal justice system and sheds light on why it is imperative to have an overhaul of our Federal Criminal Code while addressing the ripple effects it creates within our criminal justice system.

We had a task force entitled the Over-Criminalization Task Force in the Judiciary Committee which made an effective start on looking at Federal laws across the Nation to find out how we can best secure and safeguard the American people, bring justice to those who have done wrong, but also provide, if you will, a pathway of reasonableness as it relates to nonviolent crimes, crimes that don't have a major impact such as the concept of utilizing the Smokey Bear theme, if you will.

We began our journey several Congresses ago to work in a bipartisan way to address the ills of our criminal justice system, as I have indicated, and I look forward to having the Over-Criminalization Task Force reestablished.

As this bill seeks to promote, we must take initiatives to clean up our Federal Criminal Code, which in large part criminalizes many acts that can easily be addressed in other forms such as smaller fines. When we over-criminalize, we place an undue burden on the taxpayers and create long-term human costs on families and other communities. What we do is we create a criminal offense and we create a criminal record.

We should penalize where necessary to ensure public safety and security and hold accountable those criminals who have done major damage and who would tend to offend, where appropriate. But we should also look for ways in which we could enhance our communities, human relations with civilians and law enforcement, and promote an entirely new approach to our criminal justice system.

For all of the foregoing reasons and as well to suggest that Smokey Bear and Woodsy Owl would prefer being left alone as opposed to being held up in a criminal court as a reason for that particular offender being held to a fine of a large amount or jail time, I think this is an important bill and an important step.

I congratulate the authors, both the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Johnson)

and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot). I look forward to supporting this legislation, and I ask my colleagues to support the legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support H.R. 498, the ``Clean Up the Code Act of 2019.''

This legislation essentially repeals many unused statutes currently in the criminal code.

It is emblematic of what is terribly wrong with our criminal justice system and sheds light on why it is imperative to have an overhaul of our federal criminal code, while addressing the ripple effects it creates within our criminal justice system.

We began our journey several Congresses ago to work in a bipartisan way to address the ills of our criminal justice system through our Over-criminalization Task Force, which I intend to re-establish in this Congress.

As this bill seeks to promote, we must take initiatives to clean up our federal criminal code, which in large part, criminalizes many acts that can easily be addressed in other forums.

When we over-criminalize we place an undue burden on the taxpayers and create long term human costs on families and on our communities.

We should penalize where necessary to ensure public safety and hold accountable criminals where appropriate.

We should also look for ways in which we could enhance our communities, human relations with civilians and law enforcement, and provide an entirely new approach to our criminal justice system.

For all the foregoing reasons, I support this bill and ask my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Georgia for yielding me time. I hope I won't use all 5 minutes. I first want to say I support the bill under debate right now and certainly support criminal justice reform. One of the best ways, of course, we can prevent people from hopefully going down the path of crimes is to make sure they have a good education, so hence I am here to speak on H.R. 439.

Mr. Speaker, as co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Career and Technical Education Caucus, I am pleased to rise with my good friend and fellow co-chair, Representative G.T. Thompson, in support of H.R. 439, the National FFA Organization's Federal Charter Amendments Act. I would like to thank my friend from Pennsylvania for his partnership on this bill which modernizes the FFA congressional charter to better serve the organization's 669,000 student members across the country.

Since 1928 the FFA, formerly known as Future Farmers of America, has been an integral part of our Nation's agricultural education system. Its mission is to prepare the next generation of farmers who form the backbone of our Nation's food supply system. Congress recognized the FFA's importance in 1950 when it granted the organization a Federal charter. But today, nearly 70 years later, that charter is overdue for an update.

Of the 100 nonprofit organizations that have charters with the Federal Government, from the Girl Scouts of America to the National Academy of Sciences, only six require government agencies to appoint members to the NGO's board of directors. Of those six, the FFA is the only federally chartered organization that requires a majority of its board members to be chosen by its partner agency, the Department of Education.

The bill that had been considered this afternoon and that passed brings the role of the Department of Education in line with other congressionally chartered organizations while maintaining the long relationship between the department and the FFA. In doing so, it gives the FFA more autonomy to deliver its integrated system of agricultural career and technical education, or CTE, to the 8,000 chapters located across all 50 States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.

H.R. 439 allows the FFA to be more independent, but it retains its ability to collaborate with the Department of Education in agriculture. It also allows the FFA to move its headquarters from Washington, D.C. and provide online publications for its chapters around the country. The FFA needs to adapt to the 21st century economy, and modernizing this charter is a necessary step in that process.

Today the FFA helps train more than future farmers. It prepares the next generation of scientists, veterinarians, and business owners through classroom and work-based learning. As a strong advocate for CTE, I am thrilled to support the skills-based education model on behalf of the FFA and its many teachers and students. Our bill aligns the FFA's charter with this focus on CTE, specifically the Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources Career Cluster which gives students the opportunity to explore exciting careers and be prepared for future challenges.

Our country faces daunting tasks in agricultural policy, from addressing food shortages to containing animal-borne diseases and stopping the pollution of our waterways.

Mr. Speaker, we can count on our Nation's FFA students to not only grow our economy but to become the next community of world leaders, ready to tackle these 21st century challenges.

In my home State of Rhode Island, I am continually impressed by the hardworking, motivated, bright FFA students and the dedicated teachers who instruct them. Through the FFA, these students are developing the academic and technical skills to succeed in agricultural fields and the leadership skills to make a real difference.

This bill, the National FFA Organization's Federal Charter Amendments Act, will allow the FFA to continue its mission with more autonomy.

Mr. Speaker, I thank, again, my colleague G.T. Thompson from the great State of Pennsylvania, along with Chairman Nadler and Ranking Member Collins, for their support, as well as my esteemed colleague Senator Todd Young of Indiana for leading this bipartisan effort in the Senate.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues for supporting this bill, and I thank the gentleman from Georgia for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 498) to eliminate unused sections of the United States Code, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 498, the Clean Up the Code Act. I support this measure because it represents a small yet meaningful step toward addressing the problem of over-criminalization. H.R. 498 repeals several criminal penalties for violations that do not involve serious wrongdoing, at least not serious enough to warrant criminal prosecution or the consequences of a criminal record.

Specifically, the bill decriminalizes the transportation of water hyacinths, the unauthorized application of theft prevention decals or devices, and the unauthorized use of the 4-H Club emblem; the Swiss Confederation coat of arms; the ``Smokey Bear'' character or name; the ``Woodsy Owl'' character, name, or slogan; or the ``Golden Eagle Insignia.''

The conduct that these laws are designed to deter or punish simply does not merit criminal sanctions. This bill repeals a number of these obscure and unnecessary criminal provisions. Criminal penalties should be reserved to deter offenses that jeopardize public safety or as punishment for serious moral transgressions. Such penalties should not be used to punish minor transgressions or to discourage behavior deemed unwanted but ultimately harmless to the greater public good. Therefore, while H.R. 498 is a modest step toward addressing the problem of over- criminalization, I support its adoption by the House today.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the efforts of my colleague, Representative Steve Chabot, who is the author of this measure and who shepherded it to House passage last year with 385 votes in favor. I was the lead cosponsor of the bill last Congress, and I am pleased again to serve in that role for this bipartisan legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in voting for it today, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Houston, Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how many additional speakers my friend from Georgia foresees?

Mr. Speaker, with that in mind, I see that my dear colleague, Jim Langevin, has arrived. He is the sponsor of H.R. 439 which is the Future Farmers of America charter revision bill. He is the sponsor of that bill. He was on his way from the airport. His flight was delayed, but he is here now.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Langevin).

Mr. Speaker, while I do not believe Federal prosecutors are neglecting the pursuit of

serious criminals by bringing charges under Criminal Code provisions that H.R. 498 would repeal, this bill serves as an important reminder that Congress should be careful not to enact new criminal penalties when they are not warranted.

We must resist overcriminalization, which fosters disrespect for the seriousness of the law and leads to collateral consequences for offenders that are often catastrophic to them and their ability to function in and contribute to their communities.

It is my hope that, in this new Congress, we will be able to work on a bipartisan basis to expand our efforts to make our criminal justice system more fair and, thereby, also more effective.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding.

I share the chairman's passion for FFA and in the leadership that emerges from that experience for our youth. And I know that, being someone who represents a very rural district, we think of the FFA as a rural enterprise; but, Mr. Speaker, the largest FFA chapter we have in Pennsylvania--and we have a lot--it is a robust program in the city of Philadelphia. This is a program that has tremendous impact in rural America and has tremendous ability to impact in urban America today.

So I rise in support of H.R. 439, the National FFA Organization's Federal Charter Amendments Act. I am honored to work with my good friend, Mr. Langevin, on this piece of legislation.

This bipartisan bill makes updates to allow the national FFA to be a self-governing organization, while maintaining its long-held relationship with the U.S. Department of Education.

FFA, formally called the Future Farmers of America, was organized in

1928. Congress recognized the importance of FFA as an integral part of vocational agriculture, and in 1950 granted it a Federal charter.

This charter provides Federal authority to create an interagency working agreement that is focused on strengthening FFA and school-based agriculture education.

However, the role of education in securing a skilled, sustainable workforce in agriculture is underscored through the required involvement of the U.S. Department of Education on the National FFA board of directors.

It is important to note that only about 100 organizations have charters with Federal agencies. Only six organizations require the respective government agencies to select one member for their board of directors. FFA is the only organization that requires a majority of its board of directors be chosen by its partner government agency.

Mr. Speaker, while we can all appreciate the integrated relationship between the Department of Education and the FFA, it must be our prerogative to determine the best path forward for both this Federal charter and the students it serves.

FFA functions through a network of local chapters that may be chartered in any public school with an agricultural education program.

Local chapters are run with student leadership. Students are elected each year by the chapter's members, with the agriculture teacher serving as adviser for the chapter.

Local chapters then make up State FFA associations, which operate within the bounds of the National FFA Organization but have the ability to create other individual leadership arrangements, competitions, awards, and programs.

In Pennsylvania alone, our State FFA association includes over 12,900 members, 210 agriculture science teachers, and they have raised $179,000 to support the future of agriculture education and student leader growth.

It is important to understand this bill will allow the Secretary of Education to continue to serve on the National FFA board of directors but would no longer have the Department of Education's employees constituting the majority of the board.

Additionally, this bill will also shift the organization's purpose towards providing comprehensive career and technical education to strengthen the Nation's agriculture workforce.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation brings FFA, a great cornerstone of rural America--and, quite frankly, having a tremendous impact, today, on urban America--into the 21st century.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation.