Committees and Caucuses

Congressman Collins serves on both the Agriculture and Small Business committees in the 113th Congress. The committee assignments are a natural fit for both Collins’ background as a small business owner and the incredibly important role agriculture plays in New York’s 27th Congressional District.

House Committee on Agriculture:  The House Committee on Agriculture has general jurisdiction over federal agriculture policy and oversight of some federal agencies, and it can recommend funding appropriations for various governmental agencies, programs, and activities, as defined by House rules.

• Member of the Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management:  This Subcommittee has jurisdiction over program and markets related to cotton, cottonseed, wheat, feed grains, soybeans, oilseeds, rice, dry beans, peas, lentils, the Commodity Credit Corporation, risk management, including crop insurance, commodity exchanges, and specialty crops.
• Member of the Subcommittee on Horticulture, Research, Biotechnology, and Foreign Agriculture:  This Subcommittee has jurisdiction over fruits and vegetables, honey and bees, marketing and promotion orders, plan pesticides, quarantine, adulteration of seeds and insect pests, and organic agriculture, research, education and extension, biotechnology, and foreign agriculture assistance, and trade promotion programs.

House Committee on Small Business:  The House Small Business Committee was established to protect and assist small businesses.  As such, the Committee has jurisdiction over matters related to small business financial aid, regulatory flexibility, and paperwork reduction. Additionally, the House Small Business Committee has oversight and legislative authority over the Small Business Administration (SBA) and its programs.

• Chairman of the Subcommittee on Health and Technology:  This Subcommittee will address how healthcare policies may inhibit or promote economic growth and job creation by small businesses.  In addition, the Subcommittee will examine small business job growth through the creation and adoption of advanced technologies.
• Member of the Subcommittee on Investigations, Oversight and Regulations:  This Subcommittee will probe the efficient operation of government programs that affect small businesses, including the SBA, and develop proposals to make them operate in a more cost-effective manner.  This Subcommittee also will review the regulatory burdens imposed on small businesses and how those burdens may be alleviated.