Why It Matters
The National Chicken Council filed a third-quarter 2026 lobbying report listing four issues, including the Market Access Program, animal welfare, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) worker safety, and workforce security.
By the Numbers
The in-house third-quarter filing, signed Oct. 9, 2026, reports $120,000 in lobbying expenditures. In the third quarter of 2025, the council reported $110,000 in-house and Hogan Lovells US LLP reported $10,000, for a total of $120,000, leaving the client total unchanged year over year. In the second quarter of 2026, the council reported $110,000 in-house, and Hogan Lovells Cadwalader US LLP reported $10,000; the filing history includes no Hogan Lovells third-quarter report.
The filing lists three in-house lobbyists: Harrison Kircher, President and Chief Executive Officer; David Elrod, Vice President of Government Affairs; and Ashley Peterson, Senior Vice President of Scientific and Regulatory Affairs. Peterson's record notes prior government experience; Kircher and Elrod list none.
The Agenda
In February 2026, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) proposed changing maximum line-speed rates for certain young-chicken and turkey establishments under the New Poultry Inspection System (NPIS), with applicable OSHA worker-safety rules still applying. In August 2026, USDA proposed amendments to the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP).
On MAP, USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service announced more than $212 million in awards through MAP and the Foreign Market Development (FMD) program in February 2026, then opened fiscal year 2026 funding opportunities for both programs in April 2026.
On workforce security, Rep. David Valadao (R-CA) announced in July 2026 that he joined as an original co-sponsor of the Securing Agriculture's Workforce Act, a bipartisan bill that would modernize the H-2A visa program for year-round agricultural operations and create a pathway for existing unauthorized farmworkers. The National Chicken Council is listed among the bill's supporting organizations.
The Bottom Line
In-house spending ranged from $100,000 to $130,000 across the seven quarters from the first quarter of 2025 through the third quarter of 2026, and outside firm Hogan Lovells, which filed in earlier quarters, has no third-quarter 2026 filing.
Access the Legis1 platform for comprehensive political news, data, and insights
Spot something wrong? Report an issue with this article