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.
*sb0437*
SENATE BILL 437
M4 2lr1168
CF HB 540
By: Senator McCray Senators McCray and Hester
Introduced and read first time: January 26, 2022
Assigned to: Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: March 4, 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 SENATE BILL 437
(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE F OLLOWING 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 DEDI CATED TO URBAN FARM PRODUCTION METHODS A ND 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 A ND CROP MANAGEMENT ; AND 13
(II) SPEND A MAJORITY OF T HE AGENT’S TIME PROVIDING 14
EDUCATION TO URBAN F ARMERS ON URBAN FARM PRODUCTION METHODS A ND 15
CROP MANAGEMENT . 16
(3) THE EDUCATION PROVIDE D UNDER PARAGRAPH (2)(II) OF THIS 17
SUBSECTION MAY INCLU DE: 18
(I) PLANNING AND SCHEDULING CROP PLANTING AND 19
HARVESTING IN URBAN AREAS, INCLUDING OUTDOORS , INDOORS, IN 20
GREENHOUSES , AND IN HIGH TUNNEL P RODUCTION SYSTEMS ; 21
(II) PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FOR CONTRO LLED 22
ENVIRONMENT AGRICULT URE SYSTEMS; 23
(III) GROWING TRIA LS AND PRODUCTION ME THODS FOR CROPS 24
GROWN IN URBAN AREAS , INCLUDING SPECIALTY CROPS SUCH AS HERITA GE 25
VEGETABLES , ETHNIC VEGETABLES , HERBS, MICROGREENS , AND CUT FLOWERS ; 26
(IV) PROPAGATION AND TRANS PLANT PRODUCTION ; 27
(V) TRAINING ON AND CERTIFICATIONS FOR G OOD 28
AGRICULTURAL PRACTIC ES; 29
(VI) TRAINING ON ORGANIC C ERTIFICATIONS; AND 30 SENATE BILL 437 3
(VII) ANY OTHER TOPIC REGAR DING URBAN FARM PROD UCTION 1
METHODS AND CROP MAN AGEMENT THAT THE AGE NT, IN CONSULTATION WITH 2
URBAN FARMERS AND FA RM SERVICE PROVI DERS LOCATED IN URBA N AREAS, 3
DETERMINES IS NECESS ARY. 4
(C) (1) THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND EXTENSION SHALL HIRE AN 5
EXTENSION AGENT DEDI CATED TO URBAN FARM AND AGRIBUSINESS MAN AGEMENT. 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 MANAGEM ENT; AND 10
(II) SPEND A MAJORITY OF T HE AGENT’S TIME PROVIDING AND 11
COORDINATING EDUCATI ON FOR URBAN FARMERS ON URBAN 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 FINANC IAL MANAGEMENT ; 16
(II) IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS AND BUSINE SS 17
DEVELOPMENT ; 18
(III) MARKETING; 19
(IV) HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGE MENT; 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 LOCATED IN URBAN ARE AS, DETERMINES 27
IS NECESSARY. 28 4 SENATE BILL 437
(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 THIS SEC TION. 4
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect June 5
1, 2022. 6
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.