EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*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
Committee Report: Favorable
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 2, 2022
CHAPTER ______
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
2 HOUSE BILL 540
(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 1
INDICATED. 2
(2) “URBAN AREA” MEANS AN AREA DELINE ATED AS AN URBAN ARE A 3
BY THE U.S. CENSUS BUREAU. 4
(3) “URBAN FARMER ” MEANS AN INDIVIDUAL WHO FARMS IN AN 5
URBAN AREA. 6
(B) (1) THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND EXTENSION SHALL HIRE AN 7
EXTENSION AGENT DEDICATED TO URBAN FARM PRODUCTION METHODS AND CROP 8
MANAGEMENT . 9
(2) THE AGENT HIRED UNDER PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION 10
SHALL: 11
(I) PERFORM APPLIED RESEA RCH ON URBAN FARM 12
PRODUCTION METHODS AND CROP MANAGEMENT ; AND 13
(II) SPEND A MAJORITY OF T HE AGENT’S TIME PROVIDING 14
EDUCATION TO URBAN FARMERS ON URBAN FARM PRODUCTIO N METHODS AND 15
CROP MANAGEMENT . 16
(3) THE EDUCATION PROVIDE D UNDER PARAGRAPH (2)(II) OF THIS 17
SUBSECTION MAY INCLU DE: 18
(I) PLANNING AND SCHEDULI NG CROP PLANTING AND 19
HARVESTING IN URBAN AREAS, INCLUDING OUTDOORS , INDOORS, IN 20
GREENHOUSES , AND IN HIGH TUNNEL PRODUCTI ON SYSTEMS; 21
(II) PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FOR CONTROLLED 22
ENVIRONMENT AGRICULTURE SYSTEMS ; 23
(III) GROWING TRIALS AND PRODUCTION METHODS FOR CROPS 24
GROWN IN URBAN AREAS , INCLUDING SPECIALTY CROPS SUCH AS HERITAGE 25
VEGETABLES , ETHNIC VEGETABLES , HERBS, MICROGREENS , AND CUT FLOWERS ; 26
(IV) PROPAGATION AND TRANSPLANT PRODUCTIO N; 27
(V) TRAINING ON AND CERTI FICATIONS FOR GOOD 28
AGRICULTURAL PRACTIC ES; 29
(VI) TRAINING ON ORGANIC CERTIFICATIO NS; AND 30 HOUSE BILL 540 3
(VII) ANY OTHER TOPIC REGAR DING URBAN FARM PROD UCTION 1
METHODS AND CROP MANAGEMENT THAT THE AGENT, IN CONSULTATION WITH 2
URBAN FARMERS AND FA RM SERVICE PROVIDERS LOCATED IN URBAN ARE AS, 3
DETERMINES IS NECESSARY. 4
(C) (1) THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND EXTENSION SHALL HIRE AN 5
EXTENSION AGENT DEDI CATED TO URBAN FARM AND AGRIBUSINES S MANAGEMENT . 6
(2) THE AGENT HIRED UNDER PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION 7
SHALL: 8
(I) PERFORM APPLIED RESEA RCH ON URBAN FARM AN D 9
AGRIBUSINESS MA NAGEMENT; AND 10
(II) SPEND A MAJORITY OF T HE AGENT’S TIME PROVIDING AND 11
COORDINATING EDUCATI ON FOR URBAN FARMERS ON URB AN FARM AND 12
AGRIBUSINESS MANAGEM ENT. 13
(3) THE EDUCATION PROVIDE D UNDER PARAGRAPH (2)(II) OF THIS 14
SUBSECTION MAY INCLU DE: 15
(I) ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL MANAGE MENT; 16
(II) IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS AND BUSINE SS 17
DEVELOPMENT ; 18
(III) MARKETING; 19
(IV) HUMAN RESOURC E MANAGEMENT ; 20
(V) DIFFERENT BUSINESS TY PES AND STRUCTURES ; 21
(VI) LAND ACQUISITION ; 22
(VII) INSURANCE; 23
(VIII) LICENSING AND PERMITT ING; AND 24
(IX) ANY OTHER TOPIC REGAR DING URBAN FARM AND 25
AGRIBUSINESS MANAGEM ENT THAT THE AGENT, IN CONSULTATION WITH URBAN 26
FARMERS AND FARM SER VICE PROVIDERS LOCAT ED IN URBAN AREAS , DETERMINES 27
IS NECESSARY. 28 4 HOUSE BILL 540
(D) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024 AND EACH FISCAL YEAR THEREAFTER , THE 1
GOVERNOR SHALL INCLUD E IN THE ANNUAL BUDG ET BILL AN APPROPRIA TION OF 2
$300,000 TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND EXTENSION FOR THE EXT ENSION 3
AGENTS HIRED UNDER T HIS SECTION. 4
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect June 5
1, 2022. 6
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.