EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0437*
SENATE BILL 437
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CF 2lr1165
By: Senator McCray
Introduced and read first time: January 26, 2022
Assigned to: Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs
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 F OLLOWING 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 SENATE BILL 437
(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 DEDI CATED TO URBAN FARM PRODUCTION METHODS A ND 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 A ND CROP MANAGEMENT ; AND 9
(II) SPEND A MAJORITY OF T HE AGENT’S TIME PROVIDING 10
EDUCATION TO URBAN F ARMERS ON URBAN FARM PRODUCTION METHODS A ND 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 P RODUCTION SYSTEMS ; 17
(II) PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FOR CONTRO LLED 18
ENVIRONMENT AGR ICULTURE SYSTEMS ; 19
(III) GROWING TRIALS AND PR ODUCTION METHODS FOR CROPS 20
GROWN IN URBAN AREAS , INCLUDING SPECIALTY CROPS SUCH AS HERITA GE 21
VEGETABLES , ETHNIC VEGETABLES , HERBS, MICROGREENS , AND CUT FLOWERS ; 22
(IV) PROPAGATION AND TRANS PLANT PRODUCTION ; 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 MAN AGEMENT THAT THE AGE NT, IN CONSULTATION WITH 28
URBAN FAR MERS AND FARM SERVIC E PROVIDERS LOCATED IN URBAN AREAS , 29
DETERMINES IS NECESS ARY. 30 SENATE BILL 437 3
(C) (1) THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND EXTENSION SHALL HIRE AN 1
EXTENSION AGENT DEDI CATED TO URBAN FARM AND AGRIBUSINESS MAN AGEMENT. 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 URBAN 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 FINANC IAL MANAGEMENT ; 12
(II) IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS AND BUSINE SS 13
DEVELOPMENT ; 14
(III) MARKETING; 15
(IV) HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGE MENT; 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 SERVICE PRO VIDERS LOCATED IN UR BAN 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 EXTENSION 27
AGENTS HIRED UNDER T HIS SECTION. 28 4 SENATE BILL 437
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect June 1
1, 2022. 2