Participants Focus on 4 Industry Priorities
Members of the natural products industry gathered in Washington, D.C. on May 12 to join the Natural Products Association’s (NPA) annual Fly-In Day. More than 130 industry stakeholders attended, an increase of 40 participants, according to the association, to meet with members of Congress.
The NPA’s Fly-In Day on Capitol Hill provided association members—retailers, manufacturers, raw material suppliers, partners and media members—with a valuable opportunity to engage directly with lawmakers and staff, elevate the industry’s priorities, and strengthen relationships to help influence public policy. Through a full day of meetings, briefings and coordinated advocacy, participants were able to share firsthand perspectives on the issues affecting their organizations and the consumers they serve.
Pre-event briefings and a breakfast session helped participants align on core messages, talking points and meeting objectives, ensuring a consistent and professional presence.
Members held back-to-back meetings at congressional offices to discuss four of the association’s legislative priorities and communicate the real-world impact of pending policy decisions.
The priorities addressed were:
- Modernizing the Drug Preclusion clause to safeguard innovation in the dietary supplement industry.
A provision of current law, section 201 (ff)(3)(B) of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) threatens to undermine dietary supplement industry innovation by precluding certain ingredients from being marketed as dietary supplements if they have previously been investigated or approved as drugs.
NPA urges congress to revise the drug preclusion clause to ensure that it reflects the original intent of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA) and does not stifle legitimate innovation in the dietary supplement marketplace.
- Vote no on mandatory product listing.
Led by Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Representative Maxine Dexter (D-OR), Congress is again considering legislation that would impose Mandatory Product Listing (MPL) requirements on all dietary supplements. These bills are S. 3677/H.R. 8370. NPA argues that the act would:
- Raise prices and expand FDA authority in ways that diver focus from core priorities
- Delay market access for safe and innovative products
- Impose what amounts to a new regulatory tax on all existing dietary supplements, burdening retailers, manufacturers and distributors with unnecessary costs.
- Clarifying FDA authority over dietary supplement regulation.
State legislatures have introduced bills for more than a decade to restrict or outright prohibit access to widely used dietary supplements, such as creatine, branched-chain amino acids and protein powders.
These state bills would impose burdensome requirements, including:
- Mandatory age verification for adult consumers purchasing lawful products
- Alarmist warning labels suggestion supplement may cause sever conditions or even death.
- Retail restrictions that treat supplements more like controlled substances than food.
NPA urges Congress to co-sponsor and advance HR 7366, The Dietary Supplement Regulatory Uniformity Act, led by Rep. Nick Langworthy (R-NY), to establish federal preemption for dietary supplements.
The legislation would:
- Reinforce FDA’s role of the primary regulator, as intended under DSHEA.
- Protect interstate commerce and supply chain efficiency.
- Ensure consumers across all 50 states have equal access to safe, lawful products.
- Modernizing IRS policy to expand access to dietary supplements through HSAs, FSAs and HRAs.
According to NPA, a simple targeted revision to IRS Publication 502 would resolve the issue of barring Americans from using pre-tax health care dollars in health saving and flexible spending accounts and health reimbursement arranges to purchase dietary supplements unless they obtain a physician’s prescription.
NPA recommends the IRS clarify that nutritional and dietary supplements are eligible as medical expenses and do not require a prescription.
Overall, the Fly-In Day served as an effective environment for amplifying the association’s voice on Capitol Hill while empowering members to participate meaningfully in the advocacy process. The experience not only advanced policy conversations but also provided the opportunity for continued engagement with lawmakers—NPA urged participants to invite members of Congress to visit their facilities.
“NPA’s 2026 Fly-In Day was an incredible success and a powerful reminder of what happens when the industry shows up, engages directly, and speaks with one voice,” said Kyle Turk, NPA’s vice president of government affairs. “We were proud to host more than 130 participants from across the country for meaningful conversations with lawmakers on the future of dietary supplements, including HSA expansion, regulatory certainty, and protecting consumer access. The energy, professionalism, and passion our members brought to Capitol Hill reinforced why Fly-In Day remains the dietary supplement industry’s premier advocacy event.”
For more information, visit www.npanational.org.
