Continuous Improvement and Accountability in Organic Standards Act

Continuous Improvement and Accountability in Organic Standards Act or the CIAO Act

This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to review and revise the organic certification standards at least every five years.

Specifically, USDA must 

• solicit public input on which organic standards regulations should be prioritized for revision,
• publish a list of proposed changes to the regulations that will be prioritized for revision,
• obtain recommendations for each of the proposed changes from the National Organic Standards Board (a federal advisory board that considers and makes recommendations concerning the production, handling, and processing of organic products), and
• revise the regulations accordingly.

In implementing the recommended changes, USDA and the National Organic Standards Board must consider the best available information, including environmental and ecological data, consumer and market data, organic production and handling practices, organic research, and scientific data.