Stakeholders will submit comments to the Congressional Task Force that will examine Puerto Rican AO 346 as a result of NPA’s grassroots and government relations efforts.  NPA will work directly with the Task Force to provide input on the damaging effects of Administrative Order (AO) by meeting will all eight of its members in the coming weeks. NPA was the only industry trade association to work directly with Congress during the passage of PROMESA to ensure that this issue would be addressed by the Task Force.

“NPA’s grassroots network played an instrumental role in getting Congress to look at this critical issue for Puerto Rico and the natural products industry.  NPA will work directly with the Task Force to inform its members of the damaging impact this order will have on consumers and economic growth in Puerto Rico,” said Daniel Fabricant, Ph.D., CEO and executive director of NPA.  “We are optimistic that the report will encourage the federal government to remove economic impediments that keep Puerto Ricans from enjoying the extensive health benefits of dietary supplements and other natural products.”

AO 346 created new barriers to retailers and distributors of natural products in Puerto Rico, imposing new fees and unnecessary regulations that make it difficult for these products to reach stores in Puerto Rico. With millions of Puerto Ricans utilizing natural supplements, the order threatens both personal and economic health for those on the island. NPA and its congressional allies including Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-MT) urged the Task Force to include AO 346 in its investigations and successfully worked to include it in the Task Force’s directives in PROMESA.

The bipartisan task force includes notable members of both parties and both chambers, and they are now requesting input from both public and private stakeholders. In a joint statement, they said they desire any insights that experts can provide “to identify what reforms are needed to grow the Puerto Rican economy and promote prosperity on the island.”

The Task Force is accepting stakeholder input until September 2 and will issue a report on Puerto Rico’s economic status and recommendations going forward by December 31, 2016.

For more information, visit www.NPAinfo.org.