Government Relations

Being Prepared For A Government Shutdown

While we're optimistic that the government will stay open past November 21, we encourage members to be prepared in case of a federal shutdown. Any food retail operation that may need to renew or apply for a new Supplemental Nutrition Assistance ...

Hand in Hand Working to Reduce Food Waste

Founding members of FWRA signed an important memorandum of understandingwith three key government agencies – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The ...

Tobacco 21 Bills Gain Local, State and Federal Traction

Tweaks to existing laws have dominated the spectrum of tobacco legislation, and none as much as the minimum tobacco purchase age. The 1980s and 1990s saw the states establish a tobacco purchase age of 18, with a handful at ...

Helping Retailers Understand and Comply with The National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard

As a trusted ally to shoppers, food retailers want to provide easily accessible information whenever possible to customers as well as additional information they may be interested in. The National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard (NBFDS) ...

Urge Congress to Prohibit Retroactive Pharmacy DIR Fees

According to the federal government, DIR fees charged to pharmacies have grown by more than 45,000 percent over the past 10 years! And, in an industry that operates on razor-thin profit margins, supermarket pharmacies have virtually no ability to ...

Monitoring SNAP Policy Implications for Food Retail

Over the past year, USDA and other agencies have announced proposed rules changes for SNAP participation. FMI has tracked these changes and provided commented on key issues that could affect our industry. We highlighted a few proposals we’re ...

Helping Retailers Navigate the Americans with Disabilities Act

Recently, FMI hosted a webinar for members to examine the Americans with Disability Act, or “ADA,” based on recent trends in litigation, and ways to help mitigate potential ...

Proposed Regulatory Changes Could Offer Truckers Much Needed Flexibility

Grocers know all too well the important role the trucking industry plays not just for food retailers, but for the American economy more broadly. Trucks are responsible for moving 70% of all freight tonnage in the U.S. every year, which includes ...

Trade Makes America Great

The guacamole you enjoy during football games most likely is made with avocadoes from Mexico and the lamb chops you throw on the grill could come from Australia or New Zealand. Sixty years ago, these products would not have been readily available to ...

Photo Friday: Congressman Gil Cisneros Visits 99 Ranch Market, Hacienda Heights, CA

Last week, Congressman Gil Cisneros (CA-39) and Hill staff members met with engaged associates from TAWA Supermarkets, Inc....

Past is Prologue: Working with a New Congress to Pass the USMCA

There are 89 freshman House members in the 116thCongress and nine new Senators. Most, if not all these individuals, have not voted on a trade agreement in any context and many come from professions where the impacts and benefits of trade would not ...

Making Sense of State and Local Legislative Chaos at the FMI State Issues Retreat

The FMI State Issues Retreat brought together food retail grocery associations and grocery company professionals from each state to discuss state and local legislative issues of interest to the food retail industry. Among the issues discussed were ...

Engage With Your Elected Officials on FMI’s Advocacy Platform

To help the food retail industry share its story, recently, FMI launched a new, easy to use grassroots advocacy platform. From our Capitol Hill perspective, the new FMI Advocacy Center keeps us connected with our members of Congress, and makes sure ...

Remember Your First Job?

As leaders, we all started somewhere. The food retail industry is a noted provider of first-job opportunities for young workers. Many of these employees transition their first roles in a supermarket into a steppingstone for a future career in ...

Photo Friday: FMI President and CEO Joins U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Press Conference to Urge Passage of USMCA

The USMCA takes a very good trade agreement and makes it better by bringing it into the 21st century. It maintains and secures the existing supply chain, resulting in continued growth in U.S. food and beverage exports and strengthens our food safety ...