The National Grocers Association (NGA) has given strong support for Sen. Roger Marshall’s (R-Kansas) Congressional Review Act resolution, SJ Res. 14, to overturn the Environmental Protection Agency’s Final Rule: Management of Certain HFCs and Their Substitutes Under the AIM Act.
According to NGA, the management rule imposes a series of costly and complex compliance requirements that threaten the viability of independent grocers, particularly smaller ones with limited resources.
Marshall joins Congressman Neal Dunn (R-Florida), who introduced the House version of the resolution last month, in continuing the momentum behind this effort.
In addition to backing the House resolution, NGA also led a coalition of industry advocates who issued a joint letter of support for the House resolution, detailing the detrimental effects the management rule would have across multiple industries.
“The EPA’s new refrigeration regulations place an undue financial and operational burden on independent grocers who are already grappling with historic increases in labor, utility and credit card swipe fee costs. In an industry that sees an average net margin of 1.4 percent, any additional expenses can be detrimental,” said Chris Jones, chief government relations officer for NGA.
“This rulemaking could lead to higher grocery prices for consumers and, in extreme cases, force community grocers to shut their doors. Senator Marshall’s resolution provides a critical opportunity to protect Main Street grocers and their customers from these burdensome mandates.”
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“Main Street grocers are already operating on tight margins,” Marshall said. “The massive increase in costs associated with this rulemaking will force grocers to increase their prices or, in more dire circumstances, close completely. Gone are the days of the Biden Administration’s inflationary, burdensome rules and the heavy hand of the federal government hounding our mom-and-pop shops.”
According to NGA, the compliance deadlines – which begin as early as Jan. 1, 2026 – combined with inflated costs for new refrigerants and updated equipment, disproportionately affect independent grocers, many of whom cannot implement these changes within the mandated timelines.
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