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AN ACT relating to the Department of Agriculture and declaring an emergency. 1
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: 2
Section 1. KRS 246.030 is amended to read as follows: 3
The department shall consist of: 4
(1) The Office of the Commissioner; 5
(2) The Office of Agricultural Marketing, which shall include the following: 6
(a) The Promotion and Development Division; 7
(b) The Farm Safety and Rural Health[Shows and Fairs] Division; 8
(c) The Livestock Division; 9
(d) The Plant Division; 10
(e) The Education and Outreach Division; and 11
(f) The Direct Farm Marketing Division; 12
(3) The Office for Consumer and Environmental Protection, which shall include the 13
following: 14
(a) The Division of Regulation and Inspection; 15
(b) The Division of Food Distribution; and 16
(c) The Division of Environmental Services; 17
(4) The Office of State Veterinarian, which shall include the following: 18
(a) The Division of Regulatory Field Services 19
(b) The Division of Animal Health Programs; and 20
(c) The Division of Emergency Preparedness and Response; 21
(5) The Office of Administrative Services, which shall include the following: 22
(a) The Division of Human Resources; 23
(b) The Division of Administrative Services; and 24
(c) The Division of Information Technology; 25
(6) The Office of Communications; 26
(7) The Office of Legal Services; 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 25 RS BR 270
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(8) The State Board of Agriculture;[ and] 1
(9) The Kentucky Office of Agricultural Policy, which shall include the following: 2
(a) Agricultural Development Board; and 3
(b) Kentucky Agricultural Finance Corporation; and 4
(10) The Office of Agricultural Economic Development. 5
Section 2. KRS 247.220 is amended to read as follows: 6
(1) The Commissioner of Agriculture shall make grants of state funds to qualified local 7
agricultural fairs on a matching basis, to be used by them to pay premium awards 8
for exhibits and displays of domestic livestock, poultry, harness horse racing, other 9
horse events, and agricultural products. The premiums actually awarded shall 10
conform to those appearing on the premium list issued by the fair. 11
(2) The state may provide funds for use in the establishment of new facilities and 12
improvement of existing facilities for use in conducting events at local agricultural 13
fairs as provided by this section. No grant for buildings shall be made until the local 14
fair board has complied with the local fair program and qualified for the state grant 15
as provided in subsection (5) of this section. Grants for facilities shall be made 16
under regulations promulgated by the Fair Council and the Commissioner of 17
Agriculture. In no event shall the allocation for facilities result in a decrease in the 18
number of approved agricultural classes or premiums. 19
(3) There shall be a Fair Council in the Department of Agriculture. The council shall 20
act in an advisory capacity to the Commissioner in all matters pertaining to the 21
administration of the department's fair program. It shall be called into session when 22
there are matters for its consideration. It shall meet at least twice each calendar year 23
at Frankfort or at any other place that may be determined. 24
(4) (a) The council shall be composed of: 25
1. The Commissioner, or the Commissioner's designee, as 26
chair[chairman]; 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 25 RS BR 270
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2. The Presidents or their designated representatives of the following state 1
groups: 2
a. Kentucky Farm Bureau Federation; 3
b. Kentucky Association of Fairs and Horse Shows, Inc.; 4
c. Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Corporation; 5
d. American Saddlebred Horse Association; and 6
e. Kentucky Walking Horse Association; 7
3. The Agricultural Education Consultant of the Kentucky Department of 8
Education; 9
4. The dean of the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food 10
and Environment, or the dean's designee; 11
5. The co-chairs of the Interim Joint Committee on Agriculture; and 12
6. Two (2) representatives appointed by the Commissioner who are 13
experienced in showing livestock or animal agriculture. 14
(b) The Commissioner may, with the concurrence of a majority of the members 15
of the council, appoint additional members to the council. 16
(5) To qualify for a grant of state funds, a fair shall meet standards set by the 17
Commissioner and his advisory council whose approval may be given only if the 18
fair: 19
(a) Provides in its bylaws for holding an annual fair running for at least three (3) 20
days; 21
(b) Presents, through the medium of youth organizations such as 4-H clubs, 22
Future Farmers of America, and other similar organizations, an educational 23
program concerning the production and marketing of the livestock, poultry, 24
and horse industries; 25
(c) Complies with all administrative regulations which the Department of 26
Agriculture is hereby authorized to promulgate; and 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 25 RS BR 270
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(d) Appoints one (1) or more members to its fair board from local livestock 1
associations, horsemen's associations, and county farm bureaus, and selects 2
one (1) or more county extension agents and vocational agriculture teachers 3
for counties served by the fair as members of the board. Wherever local 4
livestock associations, horsemen's associations, and farm bureaus are in 5
existence, appointees are to be nominated to the fair board by these 6
organizations. Where fairs serve an area, appointments may be made from all 7
counties within the particular area. It shall be the responsibility of the 8
appointees to aid in establishing premium lists and planning agricultural 9
exhibits. 10
(6) Any fair receiving a grant of state funds shall file with the director of the 11
Livestock[Shows and Fairs] Division in the Department of Agriculture, by 12
December 1 of the year in which the grant is received, satisfactory proof that all 13
state premium awards have been paid and a certified notarized financial report 14
submitted by the treasurer of the local fair association. 15
Section 3. Whereas agriculture is a vital and integral component to the 16
economy, and farm families throughout the Commonwealth depend on the expansion and 17
success of a flourishing agricultural industry, an emergency is declared to exist, and this 18
Act takes effect upon its passage and approval by the Governor or upon its otherwise 19
becoming a law. 20