AGRICULTURE – 2012 All-bill summary

SF 2172 – Swine confinement feeding management

SF 2269 – Wastewater disposal

SF 2311 – IDALS Dept. bill

HF 589 – Offenses to animal operations and livestock

HF 2092 – Year around farmers market and expand products

HF 2292 – Fish farms

SF 2172 changes how animal units are calculated to determine if a confinement feeding operation that includes a farrowing and gestating operation qualifies. Replacement breeding swine are not counted if two conditions are satisfied. First, the replacement breeding swine must be raised at the confinement feeding operation. Second, the replacement breeding swine must be used in the farrowing and gestating operation. The bill was amended on the Senate floor for facilities to comply with the manure management plan. [2/28: 50-0]

SF 2269 amends SF 321 from the 2011 legislative session. The bill authorized the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to adopt rules for standards for the disposal of wastewater from an on-farm processing operation that processes commodities into food, such as a dairy, creamery, winery, distillery and cannery. Currently, wastewater originating from the operation may be applied on land if a number of requirements are met. This bill eliminates the wastewater to be applied on land by a person licensed by the DNR to dispose of sewage. [3/5: 50-0]

SF 2311 is the annual “clean-up bill” for the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS). It removes Code clutter and updates language changes. It covers such topics as swine brucellosis, Johne’s disease in dairy cattle, chronic wasting disease and sheep treatments. This bill was amended by the House to add two members on the Underground Storage Tank Board. [4/4: 46-0 (Bertrand, Horn, Houser, Kapucian excused)]

HF 589 creates a new Code section and a new crime called “agricultural production fraud.” It prohibits gaining access to an agricultural production facility, along with lying on a job application or employment agreement, with intent to commit fraud. The first offense is a serious misdemeanor with a penalty of imprisonment up to one year and fines from $315 to $1,875. The second offense is an aggravated misdemeanor with a penalty of imprisonment up to two years and fines between $625 and $6,250. [2/28: 40-10 (Bolkcom, Dvorsky, Jochum, Quirmbach, Danielson, Hatch, Mathis, Dotzler, Hogg, McCoy “no”)]

HF 2092 allows vendor annual permits for year-around farmers markets. [3/21:50-0]

HF 2292 provides that fish farms can be regulated under federal Pollutant Discharge Elimination System rules until the DNR creates state rules. This bill was amended to reflect the correct code citation. The drafter used the wrong code chapter in drafting. [4/3: 48-0 (Horn, Bertrand excused.]