The Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association offers members the opportunity to join committees working to serve the best interests of Pennsylvania’s food industry. Committee members stay current on issues via PFMA staff and may be called upon to contact legislators and/or state officials about food industry concerns. The following committees meet throughout the year either in person or via conference call. All committees review and discuss current legislation affecting the industry, discuss possible action and strategies for dealing with these issues and suggest policies and direction for the PFMA Government Relations Department. Below is a summary of committee activities and a sample of their current issues. Please email us with the name(s) of your staff members who would be interested in joining the committees listed below to pfma@pfma.net or call the Government Relations office at 800.543.8207 ext. 5922

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Legislative Committee – Discuss issues such as the impact of annual state budget proposals and negotiations, adult beverage sales, tobacco and OTP issues, interchange fees, vendor sales tax allowance, fresh food financing, GMO and menu labeling, lottery sales, paid leave, property tax reform, SNAP funding, sustainability issues and more. Group includes Philadelphia and Alcohol Sales Task Force subcommittees.

FoodPAC Committee – Plans and participates in annual fundraising activities for PFMA’s political action committee (PAC).  Promotes and protects the needs and interests of the food industry through political action, such as supporting public office candidates who are in general agreement with the committee’s objectives. The group approves such activities in accordance with federal and state laws governing election campaign funding.   

Food Protection Committee – Discusses Pennsylvania laws and regulations including the Food Code, Food Employee Certification Act, Country-of-Origin labeling, FDA Food Safety Modernization Act rules, promoting Good Agriculture and Handling Practices trainings for growers (GHP/GAP), agro-terrorism and more. The committee works closely with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture on a regular basis. 

Loss Prevention Committee – Discusses issues such as organized retail crime, shared crime reporting, counterfeit bill technologies, retail theft penalty legislation, law enforcement education initiatives, skimming and Point of Sale breaches, associate awareness programs and store security strategies. The committee works closely with law enforcement officials. 

PA Pharmacy Council – Addresses issues in the retail pharmacy industry such as pharmacy technician certification, pharmaceutical accountability monitoring (PAMS), real-time tracking of ephedrine/pseudoephedrine purchases, injectable medications and immunizations, Affordable Care Act (ACA) and Medicaid reimbursement rates. 

PennDOT Work Group – This group was established to review PennDOT policies and practices relating to the issuance of Highway Occupancy Permits and other land use and development issues. Following discussion with PennDOT officials, local government representatives, developers and other stakeholders have developed alternative methods for streamlining the permitting process.

Fuels Committee – This committee discusses legislative and regulatory issues concerning the storage and sale of motor fuels such as seasonal gas boutique fuels, alternative fuels, octane testing, fuel point of sale transaction clearing, fuel taxes, fuel sales waivers during an emergency, pipeline supply obstacles, underground storage tank cleanup funding and more.

Human Resources Committee – This committee discusses personnel issues, such as wage and hour, hiring and firing, personnel policies, and union and collective bargaining procedures. This committee often shares policies and experiences via email listserv. ​

Sustainability Committee – Focuses on environmental sustainability issues, including reducing food waste, environmentally-friendly packaging, lowered power and fuel consumption, and food sustainability initiatives. This committee produces regular webinar education on topics of interest.