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Agriculture, Horticulture and Food

P Passed

P HB1765

Confinement and disposition of animals by animal shelters; penalties. Delays the effective date of the penalty provisions for county and city pounds that are violating regulations adopted by the Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services from July 1, 2001, to January 1, 2002.
Patron - Bryant

P HB1980

Powers of the Virginia Farmers Market Board. Eliminates the Farmers Market Board and provides that the Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services shall have those powers currently exercised by the Farmers Market Board. The Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services is to oversee the development of the farmers' market system and the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services is to manage the farmers' market system. The bill requires the Commissioner to report annually to the Board as to policies, programs and activities of the operators in the state-owned farmers' market facilities and the receipt and expenditure of funds by these operators. This bill is identical to SB 1280.
Patron - Orrock

P HB1992

Powers of the Aquaculture Advisory Board. Expands the powers of the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services with respect to the aquaculture industry.
Patron - Cox

P HB2028

Membership of the State Seed Potato Board. Eliminates the requirement that two of the seven members of the State Seed Potato Board be potato dealers and requires that all members of the Board be actively engaged in potato production. Currently, only five members of the Board are required to be actively engaged in potato production.
Patron - Bloxom

P HB2105

Importation and breeding of dogs. Repeals Chapter 167 of the 1938 Acts of Assembly, as amended by Chapter 156 of the 1964 Acts of Assembly, which prohibits the importation or breeding of German or Belgian Shepherds in six enumerated counties without first obtaining a special license for these dogs. This is a recommendation of the Virginia Code Commission as part of its annual review of uncodified Acts of Assembly for obsolete provisions in accordance with § 9-77.10:2. This Act directly conflicts with State policy, which classifies dogs individually according to their propensity to attack rather than by their particular breed.
Patron - Landes

P HB2152

Regulations to prevent the spread of rabies. Provides that any county that has adopted the urban county executive form of government (Fairfax County) may create an oral rabies vaccine distribution program. An ordinance creating the program must provide for notice to affected property owners and contain procedures for a property owner to be excluded from the program.
Patron - Amundson

P HB2269

Confinement and disposition of animals by animal shelters; penalties. Authorizes animal shelters to confine and dispose of dogs running at large without the required tag or in violation of a local ordinance, dogs not licensed as required by law, and cats in violation of local ordinances regarding licensure or running at large. Any animal shelter confining or disposing of such animals must be inspected by the State Veterinarian and operated in accordance with regulations issued by the Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services, be open to the public during reasonable business hours, and not be operated in a residential dwelling or in conflict with local zoning ordinances. The operator of an animal shelter that confines or disposes of such animals must comply with certain reporting requirements. An animal shelter that is operated in violation of Board regulations is subject to civil penalties.
Patron - Shuler

P HB2355

Levy of excise tax on apples. Provides for the holding of a referendum on the continuation of the levy of an excise tax on apples produced in Virginia. The referendum shall be held if at least 10 percent of apple producers or the Virginia State Horticultural Society petition the Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services for a referendum. Those who paid an excise tax in the previous tax year may vote in the referendum. If a majority of those voting in the referendum are opposed to the continuation of the levy of an excise tax, the tax will be repealed.
Patron - Weatherholtz

P HB2497

Certificates of veterinary inspection for ornamental aquarium fish or invertebrate animals. Provides that ornamental aquarium fish and invertebrate animals are exempt from the requirement of a certificate of veterinary inspection before being imported into Virginia. This bill is identical to SB 1043.
Patron - Larrabee

P HB2729

Certification of organically produced foods. Provides that the Commissioner or any third party authorized under federal law may certify foods as organically produced. The bill also provides that the Commissioner shall adopt regulations to conform the provisions of the Virginia Organic Food Act to any federal law or regulations relating to the definition of organic foods. The bill also (i) contains a delayed effective date until June 1, 2002, and (ii) requires the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to study the feasibility and appropriateness of becoming a certifying agent under the Federal Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 for organically produced foods in Virginia and to report its findings to the Governor and the General Assembly on or before December 1, 2001.
Patron - Orrock

P SB1043

Certificates of veterinary inspection for ornamental aquarium fish or invertebrate animals. Provides that ornamental aquarium fish and invertebrate animals are exempt from the requirement of a certificate of veterinary inspection before being imported into Virginia. This bill is identical to HB 2497.
Patron - Williams

P SB1160

Office of Farmland Preservation. Continues the Agricultural Vitality Program within the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services as the Office of Farmland Preservation. The bill provides for the powers and duties of the Office of Farmland Preservation, including the development of standards and criteria for local purchase of development rights and the administration of the Virginia Farm Link program. The bill requires the Commissioner to submit an annual report on the operation of the Office of Farmland Preservation to the chairmen of the House Committee on Agriculture and the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources.
Patron - Hanger

P SB1164

Regulation of milk and milk products; penalty. Provides that the Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services' adoption of regulations regarding standards of quality, permits, and sanitary requirements for milk, milk products, and milk production are to be exempt from the provisions of the Administrative Process Act with the exception of the legislative review provisions. The promulgation of regulations and the issuance of permits related to the sale or manufacture of cheese from any species not regulated prior to July 1, 2001, shall be in accordance with the provisions of the Administrative Process Act if the regulations or permits apply to persons who manufacture less than 1,000 pounds of such cheese annually. The bill also allows the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services to impose civil penalties or suspend the permit of any operator of a dairy farm on which there is found to be milk containing excessive drug residue. Civil penalties imposed by the Commissioner are to be paid into the general fund of the state treasury.
Patron - Hanger

P SB1280

Powers of the Virginia Farmers Market Board. Eliminates the Farmers Market Board and provides that the Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services shall have those powers currently exercised by the Farmers Market Board. The Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services is to oversee the development of the farmers' market system and the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services is to manage the farmers' market system. The bill requires the Commissioner to report annually to the Board as to policies, programs and activities of the operators in the state-owned farmers' market facilities and the receipt and expenditure of funds by these operators. This bill is identical to HB 1980.
Patron - Wagner

F Failed

F HB2010

Sale of restricted use pesticide. Directs the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to sell the restricted use pesticide Compound DRC-1339 to private applicators of pesticides.
Patron - Jackson

F SB1193

Powers of the Aquaculture Advisory Board. Eliminates the Aquaculture Advisory Board and provides that the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services shall have those powers currently granted to the Board.
Patron - Williams


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