The House of Representatives voted on May 13 to pass bipartisan legislation known as the Combatting Organized Retail Crime Act (CORCA), with strong backing from NMPF and the U.S. Dairy Export Council.
NMPF has led advocacy efforts for this legislation, with staff conducting meetings with Congressional members and the White House National Economic Council to emphasize the serious harm that organized cargo theft inflicts on dairy shipping operations. On April 30, NMPF President & CEO Gregg Doud held discussions with Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-IA, who is the bill’s primary sponsor, to discuss how dairy operations face exposure to container break-ins and to express appreciation for his leadership on the matter.
While dairy products typically aren’t the primary target of organized criminal operations, they have increasingly become unintended victims, resulting in expensive shipment returns, limited insurance options, and genuine threats to food safety and the reputation of U.S. dairy as a reliable global supplier.
The legislation would create a coordination center under the Department of Homeland Security to streamline investigation and prosecution activities. NMPF actively worked to guarantee that food and agriculture sectors remained part of the final bill, which now moves forward to the Senate for consideration.
