Clerk of the House of Representatives
Legislative Resource Center
135 Cannon Building
Washington, DC 20515
http://lobbyingdisclosure.house.gov 		Secretary of the Senate
Office of Public Records
232 Hart Building
Washington, DC 20510
http://www.senate.gov/lobby
LOBBYING REPORT

Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (Section 5) - All Filers Are Required to Complete This Page

1. Registrant Name Organization/Lobbying Firm Self Employed Individual
NATIONAL COTTON COUNCIL

2. Address

Address1
P.O. BOX 2995
 Address2
​
City
Cordova
 State
TN
 Zip Code
38088-2995
 Country
USA

3. Principal place of business (if different than line 2)

City
​
State
​
Zip Code
​
Country
​
4a. Contact Name b. Telephone Number c. E-mail
​Mr.
​MR. R E SHELLABARGER
​9012749030
​bshellabarger@cotton.org
5. Senate ID#
​27571-12
7. Client Name Self Check if client is a state or local government or instrumentality
​NATIONAL COTTON COUNCIL
6. House ID#
​303760000
TYPE OF REPORT 8. Year
​2015
 Q1 (1/1 - 3/31) Q2 (4/1 - 6/30) Q3 (7/1 - 9/30) Q4 (10/1 - 12/31)

9. Check if this filing amends a previously filed version of this report

10. Check if this is a Termination Report Termination Date
​
11. No Lobbying Issue Activity
INCOME OR EXPENSES - YOU MUST complete either Line 12 or Line 13
12. Lobbying 13. Organizations
INCOME relating to lobbying activities for this reporting period was: EXPENSE relating to lobbying activities for this reporting period were:
Less than $5,000
Less than $5,000
$5,000 or more $
​
$5,000 or more $
​160,000.00
Provide a good faith estimate, rounded to the nearest $10,000, of all lobbying related income for the client (including all payments to the registrant by any other entity for lobbying activities on behalf of the client). 14. REPORTING Check box to indicate expense accounting method. See instructions for description of options.
Method A. Reporting amounts using LDA definitions only

Method B. Reporting amounts under section 6033(b)(8) of the Internal Revenue Code

Method C. Reporting amounts under section 162(e) of the Internal Revenue Code

Signature
Digitally Signed By: R E Shellabarger
 Date
7/20/2015 12:19:26 PM

LOBBYING ACTIVITY. Select as many codes as necessary to reflect the general issue areas in which the registrant engaged in lobbying on behalf of the client during the reporting period. Using a separate page for each code, provide information as requested. Add additional page(s) as needed.

15. General issue area code AGR

16. Specific lobbying issues

Implementation of H.R. 2642, the Agricultural Act of 2014

Cotton industry requests for funding of select programs in FY 2016 Agriculture Appropriations bills (H.R. 3049 and S. 1800)

WTO Doha Round multilateral trade negotiations, specifically concerning U.S. negotiating positions with respect to trade in agricultural products and disciplines on domestic support for agriculture

Communications with USDA and USTR concerning Chinas policies and WTO obligations

Communications with Congress, USTR, USDA, State Department and Department of Commerce concerning the Turkish governments anti-dumping investigation of US cotton imports

Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations and yarn forward rule of origin for textiles and apparel

U.S.-E.U. free trade agreement negotiations

H.R. 897 - Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act of 2015

H.R. 594 - Waters of the United States Regulatory Overreach Protection Act

Issues related to the cottonseed industrys petition with EPA for a Renewable Identification Number

OSHA proposed rule to revise its Occupational Injury and Illness Recording and Reporting regulations

Communications to members of Congress conveying opposition to any action impacting the utilization of biotechnology

Contacts with EPA regarding pollinator risk assessment for pesticide registrations for cotton

Meetings with USDA Agricultural Research Service regarding honey bee health research

H.R. 1105 - Death Tax Repeal Act of 2015

Letter to select members of Senate Finance Committee concerning tax reform priorities for farmers, ranchers and others in agriculture

H.R. 9 - Innovation Act

H.R. 1599 - Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act of 2015

Letter to EPA regarding Agencys regulatory review process pertaining to biotechnology and plant-incorporated protectants

Letter to USDA in response to its coexistence workshop

Comments to USDA-RMA regarding a study on prevented planting coverage levels

H.R. 1732 - Regulatory Integrity Protection Act of 2015

S. 995 - Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015

H.R. 1890 - Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015

Comments regarding EPAs proposal to change corn rootworm resistance management provisions

Comments in response to USDAs interim rule regarding conservation compliance procedures for crop insurance

Letter to Federal Aviation Administration regarding the proposed rule for the operation and certification of small unmanned aircraft systems

Letter to House Armed Services Committee regarding Berry Amendment provisions in the FY 2016 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 1735)

Letter to Members of the House regarding Berry Amendment provisions in the FY 2016 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 1735)

Letter to Members of Senate regarding two amendments (S.A. 1961 and S.A. 1962) to the FY 2016 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 1735)

S. 1140 - Federal Water Quality Protection Act

Letters to House and Senate agriculture appropriations subcommittees regarding funding for honey bee research in Administrations FY 2016 budget

Letter to EPA regarding consideration of studies and scientific data with risk assessments and regulatory decisions for chlorpyrifos

Comments to USDA-RMA regarding proposed changes to Section 508(h) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act

H.R. 2289 - Commodity End-User Relief Act

Comments to USDAs proposed rule to revise regulations that define actively engaged in farming

Final rule by EPA and US Army Corps of Engineers for defining jurisdiction of the Clean Water Act

Comments in response to USDA-REE reports regarding federal efforts to improve pollinator health

S. 1500 - Sensible Environmental Protection Act of 2015

Letter to Federal Maritime Commission regarding the Commissions report on Rule, Rates and Practices Relating to Detention, Demurrage and Freed Time for Containerized Imports and Exports Moving Through Selected United States Ports

H.R. 2898 - Western Water and American Food Security Act of 2015

Comments to USDA-APHIS regarding certain aspects of its certification process for genetically engineered organisms

S. 1660 - A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to modify and make permanent bonus depreciation

S. 1298 - Port Transparency Act

Letter to Consumer Product Safety Commission in response to the Federal Register notice regarding the petition requesting rulemaking to amend the test procedure for the Standard for the Flammability of Clothing Textiles

Comments to USDA-APHIS regarding the Federal Register Notice for Availability of a Preliminary Plant Pest Risk Assessment, Draft Environmental Assessment, Preliminary Finding of No Significant Impact, and Preliminary Determination of Nonregulated Status for Cotton Genetically Engineered for Resistance to 2,4-D and Glufosinate

Comments to EPA regarding the registration of flubendiamide

Comments to EPA regarding the request for public input on the Agencys regulatory review, being carried out under Executive Order 13563, Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review

Letter to House Agriculture Committee regarding H.R. 2620, a bill to amend the U.S. Cotton Futures Act

17. House(s) of Congress and Federal agencies Check if None

U.S. SENATE, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Agriculture - Dept of (USDA), Commerce - Dept of (DOC), Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Food & Drug Administration (FDA), Occupational Safety & Health Review Commission, State - Dept of (DOS), U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), Transportation - Dept of (DOT)

18. Name of each individual who acted as a lobbyist in this issue area

First Name Last Name Suffix Covered Official Position (if applicable) New
Gary M.
Adams
​
​
Robert Craig
Brown
​
​
Sidney A.
Johnson
​
​
Robbie
Minnich
​
​
W. Harrison
Ashley
​
​
Reece
Langley
​
​
Matthew
Valesko
​
​
Christine
Birdsong
​
​

19. Interest of each foreign entity in the specific issues listed on line 16 above Check if None

​

Information Update Page - Complete ONLY where registration information has changed.

20. Client new address

Address
​
City
​
State
​
Zip Code
​
Country
​

21. Client new principal place of business (if different than line 20)

City
​
State
​
Zip Code
​
Country
​

22. New General description of client’s business or activities

​

LOBBYIST UPDATE

23. Name of each previously reported individual who is no longer expected to act as a lobbyist for the client

First Name
Last Name
Suffix
First Name
Last Name
Suffix
1
​
​
​
3
​
​
​
2
​
​
​
4
​
​
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ISSUE UPDATE

24. General lobbying issue that no longer pertains

​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
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AFFILIATED ORGANIZATIONS

25. Add the following affiliated organization(s)

Internet Address:

Name Address Principal Place of Business
(city and state or country)
Street Address
City State/Province Zip Country
City
State Country

26. Name of each previously reported organization that is no longer affiliated with the registrant or client

1 2 3

FOREIGN ENTITIES

27. Add the following foreign entities:

Name Address Principal place of business
(city and state or country) 		Amount of contribution for lobbying activities Ownership percentage in client
Street Address
City State/Province Country
City
State Country
%

28. Name of each previously reported foreign entity that no longer owns, or controls, or is affiliated with the registrant, client or affiliated organization

1 3 5
2 4 6