Agriculture & Rural Affairs 2015-2016
The Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee met on Wednesday, October 19, 2016, and took action as follows:
Como comprometido:
HB 2303 (Causer): This bill repeals the Race Horse Industry Reform article from the Administrative Code and inserts it as Chapter 93 in Title 3 (Agriculture). The bill was reported as committed unanimously.
Aprobado en su forma enmendada:
HB 1265 (Lawrence): This bill would amend the Milk Marketing Law to provide clarity for state mandated milk premiums owe to dairy farmers. Senator Vogel offered Amendment A10520, which removes definitions the bill previously added and no longer requires milk dealers and cooperatives to provide written statements documenting over-order premiums. Instead the Pennsylvania Milk Marketing Board will develop a mechanism will develop a mechanism for cooperatives to use and periodically publish the amount cooperatives receive. The amendment and the bill as amended were reported unanimously.
The Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee met on Thursday, June 23, 2016, and took action as follows:
Como comprometido:
SB 1110 (Argall): This bill repeals the Noxious Weed Control Law (Act 74 of 1982) and replaces it with the Controlled Plant and Noxious Weed Act to better control existing and potentially noxious weeds, maximizing the control resources of invasive species and protecting state lands. The bill was reported as committed unanimously.
Aprobado en su forma enmendada:
HB 967 (Vogel): This bill establishes an agricultural pilot program for industrial hemp research within the Commonwealth. Senator Vogel offered Amendment A08373, which makes technical changes and requires contracted growers to submit to a criminal history record check in order to be licensed to grow hemp. The amendment and the bill as amended were reported unanimously.
The Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee met on Monday, May 9, 2016, and took action as follows:
Aprobado en su forma enmendada:
SB 1229 (Vogel): Amends the Administrative Code, to re-add references to the term “Pennsylvania-bred” horses, for the purposes of purse distribution and to correct the Race Horse Industry Reform Act amended by Act 7 of 2016. Senator Dinniman offered Amendment A07088, which makes technical changes to the bill. The amendment and the bill as amended were reported unanimously.
The Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee met on Tuesday, March 15, 2016, and took action as follows:
Reportado como comprometido:
SB 1123 (Vogel): Amends Title 3 (Agriculture) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in weights and measures with respect to automotive fuel. The bill was reported unanimously.
Aprobado en su forma enmendada:
HB 806 (Causer): Amends the Clean and Green law to prohibit the application of use values that result in assessments higher than fair market value. Senator Vogel offered Amendment A06084, which clarifies that “gross” acreage should be used in land assessment when determining minimum contiguous area. The amendment and the bill as amended were reported unanimously.
The Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee met on Tuesday, October 27, 2015, and took action as follows:
Aprobado en su forma enmendada:
SB 50 (Schwank): This bill provides for the cultivation and processing of industrial hemp in Pennsylvania. Senator Schwank offered Amendment A03434, which will remove the Hemp Research Board and instead create the Agricultural Pilot Program. The Department of Agriculture will regulate this program. The amendment and the bill as amended were reported unanimously.
SB 735 (Vogel): Amends Title 3 (Agriculture) to allow mobile food facilities to operate in multiple jurisdictions under one license. Senator Kitchen offered Amendment A03733, which will make a number of technical amendments, add a variety of retail food facilities that are exempt to obtain the license, and excludes any operations of mobile retail food facilities in Philadelphia from this legislation. The amendment and the bill as amended were reported unanimously.
The Senate Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee met Tuesday, May 12, 2015 and reported the following out of committee:
As Committed
Senate Bill 78 (Alloway): Amends the Dog Law, further providing for definitions and for revocation or refusal of kennel licenses.
Senate Resolution 95 (Vogel): A Resolution urging Federal and State regulatory agencies to utilize science-based data in evaluating crop protection chemistry and nutrients.
As Amended
House Bill 188 (Sonney): Amends the Agricultural Area Security Law, further providing for definitions and for the purchase of agricultural conservation easements
The Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee met Tuesday, February 24, 2015 and reported the following bills out of committee:
As Amended
Senate Bill 201 (Schwank): Adds that a landowner or “any another person” may apply a maximum of two acres of a tract subject enrolled in a clean and green toward a rural enterprise incidental to the operation or direct commercial sales of agriculturally related products and activities as currently defined for farmland preservation purposes
Senate Bill 352 (Vogel): Establishes the State Racing Commission as an independent administrative commission to regulate the operations of horse racing and conduct of wagering