EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0540*
HOUSE BILL 540
M4 2lr1165
CF SB 437
By: Delegates Henson, Chang, and A. Jones
Introduced and read first time: January 21, 2022
Assigned to: Appropriations
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Agriculture – University of Maryland Extension – Urban Farmer Assistance 2
FOR the purpose of requiring the University of Maryland Extension to hire an extension 3
agent dedicated to urban farm production methods and crop management and an 4
extension agent dedicated to urban farm and agribusiness management; requiring 5
the agents to perform certain applied research and provide certain education to 6
urban farmers; requiring the Governor to annually include certain funding in the 7
annual budget bill for the extension agents hired under this Act; and generally 8
relating to providing assistance to urban farmers. 9
BY adding to 10
Article – Agriculture 11
Section 2–401 to be under the new subtitle “Subtitle 4. Urban Farmer Assistance” 12
Annotated Code of Maryland 13
(2016 Replacement Volume and 2021 Supplement) 14
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 15
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 16
Article – Agriculture 17
SUBTITLE 4. URBAN FARMER ASSISTANCE. 18
2–401. 19
(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 20
INDICATED. 21
(2) “URBAN AREA” MEANS AN AREA DELINE ATED AS AN URBAN ARE A 22
BY THE U.S. CENSUS BUREAU. 23 2 HOUSE BILL 540
(3) “URBAN FARMER ” MEANS AN INDIVIDUAL WHO FARMS IN AN 1
URBAN AREA. 2
(B) (1) THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND EXTENSION SHALL HIRE AN 3
EXTENSION AGENT DEDICATED TO URBAN FARM PRODUCTIO N METHODS AND CROP 4
MANAGEMENT . 5
(2) THE AGENT HIRED UNDER PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION 6
SHALL: 7
(I) PERFORM APPLIED RESEA RCH ON URBAN FARM 8
PRODUCTION METHODS AND CROP MANAGEMENT ; AND 9
(II) SPEND A MAJORITY OF T HE AGENT’S TIME PROVIDING 10
EDUCATION TO URBAN FARMERS ON URBAN FARM PRODUCTIO N METHODS AND 11
CROP MANAGEMENT . 12
(3) THE EDUCATION PROVIDE D UNDER PARAGRAPH (2)(II) OF THIS 13
SUBSECTION MAY INCLU DE: 14
(I) PLANNING AND SCHEDULI NG CROP PLANTING AND 15
HARVESTING IN URBAN AREAS, INCLUDING OUTDOORS , INDOORS, IN 16
GREENHOUSES , AND IN HIGH TUNNEL PRODUCTI ON SYSTEMS; 17
(II) PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FOR CONTROLLED 18
ENVIRONMENT AGRICULTURE SYSTEMS ; 19
(III) GROWING TRIALS AND PRODUCTION METHODS FOR CROPS 20
GROWN IN URBAN AREAS , INCLUDING SPECIALTY CROPS SUCH AS HERITAGE 21
VEGETABLES , ETHNIC VEGETABLES , HERBS, MICROGREENS , AND CUT FLOWERS ; 22
(IV) PROPAGATION AND TRANSPLANT PRODUCTIO N; 23
(V) TRAINING ON AND CERTI FICATIONS FOR GOOD 24
AGRICULTURAL PRACTIC ES; 25
(VI) TRAINING ON ORGANIC C ERTIFICATIONS; AND 26
(VII) ANY OTHER TOPIC REGAR DING URBAN FARM PROD UCTION 27
METHODS AND CROP MANAGEMENT THAT THE AGENT, IN CONSULTATION WITH 28
URBAN FARMERS AND FA RM SERVICE PROVIDERS LOCATED IN URBAN ARE AS, 29
DETERMINES IS NECESSARY. 30 HOUSE BILL 540 3
(C) (1) THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND EXTENSION SHALL HIRE AN 1
EXTENSION AGENT DEDI CATED TO URBAN FARM AND AGRIBUSINES S MANAGEMENT . 2
(2) THE AGENT HIRED UNDER PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION 3
SHALL: 4
(I) PERFORM APPLIED RESEA RCH ON URBAN FARM AN D 5
AGRIBUSINESS MANAGEM ENT; AND 6
(II) SPEND A MAJORITY OF T HE AGENT’S TIME PROVIDING AND 7
COORDINATING EDUCATI ON FOR URBAN FARMERS ON URB AN FARM AND 8
AGRIBUSINESS MANAGEM ENT. 9
(3) THE EDUCATION PROVIDE D UNDER PARAGRAPH (2)(II) OF THIS 10
SUBSECTION MAY INCLU DE: 11
(I) ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL MANAGE MENT; 12
(II) IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS AND BUSINE SS 13
DEVELOPMENT ; 14
(III) MARKETING; 15
(IV) HUMAN RESOURC E MANAGEMENT ; 16
(V) DIFFERENT BUSINESS TY PES AND STRUCTURES ; 17
(VI) LAND ACQUISITION ; 18
(VII) INSURANCE; 19
(VIII) LICENSING AND PERMITT ING; AND 20
(IX) ANY OTHER TOPIC REGAR DING URBAN FARM AND 21
AGRIBUSINESS MANAGEM ENT THAT THE AGENT, IN CONSULTATION WITH URBAN 22
FARMERS AND FARM SER VICE PROVIDERS LOCAT ED IN URBAN AREAS , DETERMINES 23
IS NECESSARY. 24
(D) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024 AND EACH FISCAL YEAR THEREAFTER , THE 25
GOVERNOR SHALL INCLUD E IN THE ANNUAL BUDG ET BILL AN APPROPRIA TION OF 26
$300,000 TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND EXTENSION FOR THE EXT ENSION 27
AGENTS HIRED UNDER T HIS SECTION. 28 4 HOUSE BILL 540
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect June 1
1, 2022. 2