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STATE OF OKLAHOMA
2nd Session of the 59th Legislature (2024)
SENATE BILL 1325 By: Young
AS INTRODUCED
An Act relating to sow farms; creating the Oklahoma
Rural Investment for Sow Farms Act of 2024; providing
short title; establishing the Oklahoma Rural
Investment for Sow Farms Program and authority to
administer such Program; stating purpose ; authorizing
certain expenditures; requiring promulgation of
certain rules; creating the Oklahoma Rural Inv estment
for Sow Farms Revolving Fund; providing for
expenditures; establishing certain application
criteria; providing certain exemption to Oklahoma
Open Records Act; establishing review committee;
making an appropriation; providing for codification;
providing an effective date ; and declaring an
emergency.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Sect ion 5087.1 of Title 74, unless there
is created a duplication in nu mbering, reads as follows:
This act shall be known and may be c ited as the “Oklahoma Rural
Investment for Sow Farms Act of 202 4”.
SECTION 2. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as S ection 5087.2 of Title 74, unless there
is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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A. The Oklahoma Department of Commerce is hereby authorized to
establish and administer the Oklahoma Rural In vestment for Sow Farms
Program.
B. The purpose of the Oklahoma Rur al Investment for Sow Farms
Program is to create investment and jobs in the p ig industry that
align with traditional farming animal care values and to offset the
costs of compliance with st ate and federal regulation s of
agriculture facilities that currently us e extreme confinement
gestation stalls or crates for pregnant sows, through the allocation
of funds to farms, cooperatives, b usiness entities, and other
agricultural entities to:
1. Update breeding sow facilities currently using individual
gestation crates (typically measuring six and six-tenths [6.6] feet
by two [2] feet per sow) into group housing pens, o f a minimum
thirty-seven and six-tenths (37.6) square feet of usable floor space
per sow, for pregnant sows;
2. Fund complete removal of gestation crat es;
3. Fund renovation of existing space and construction of group
housing pens of a minimum thirty-seven and six-tenths (37.6) square
feet of usable space per pregnant sow, and related structures,
meeting Humane Farm Animal Care size minimum space st andards; and
4. Fund training of workers on methods of Humane Farm Animal
Care standards for group housing techniques for pregnant sows.
C. The Program shall consist of the following requirements:
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1. Removal of gestation crates;
2. Installation of group housing pens and related technology;
3. Training of management teams on huma ne methods, technology,
and humane husbandry skills;
4. Pledge from grant recipient that all uses of individual
gestation crates shall be phased out permanently and in perpetuity
within three (3) years of accepting funds. Evidence of gestation
crate use at any point in the future shall require all grant funds
to be returned to this state. The pledge applies to all breeding
sow entities, corporations, cooperatives, and farms associ ated with
an individual applicant;
5. Additional rebates and incentives for participating farms
that make the complete conversions within on e (1) year of grant
application approval, to be established by the Department i n its
regulations governing the Program, based on a per-sow scheme; and
6. Credits per sow for sow farms of four sows or more with pre-
existing group, pasture -raised, hoop barns, or Certified Humane
housing, prior to November 1, 202 4.
D. The Oklahoma Department of Commerce shall promulgate rules
governing the Oklahoma Rural Investment for Sow Farms Program.
SECTION 3. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes a s Section 5087.3 of Title 74, unless there
is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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A. There is hereby created in the State Treasury a revolvin g
fund for the Oklahoma Department of Commerce to be designate d the
“Oklahoma Rural Investment for Sow Farms Revolving Fund”. The fund
shall be a continuing fund, not subject to fiscal year limitations,
and shall consist of all monies received by the Oklahoma Department
of Commerce for the purpose of implementing and maintaining the
Oklahoma Rural Investment for Sow Far ms Program. All monies
accruing to the credit of the fu nd are hereby appropriated and may
be budgeted and expended by the Oklahoma Department of Commerce for
the purpose provided for in this section . Expenditures from the
fund shall be made upon warrants issued by the Sta te Treasurer
against claims filed as prescribed by law with the Director of the
Office of Management and Enterprise Services for approval and
payment.
B. Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, income and
interest earnings on the fund shall accrue to the fund.
SECTION 4. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codifie d
in the Oklahoma Statutes as S ection 5087.4 of Title 74, unless there
is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
A. The Oklahoma Department of Commerce shall require eligible
applicants to submit information, forms, and reports as are
necessary to properly and efficiently a dminister the Oklahoma Rural
Investment for Sow Farms Program.
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B. Persons may apply to the Oklahoma Department of Commerce for
grant funds in accordanc e with rules promulgated by the Department.
Applications for grant fu nds shall be approved or denied by the
Department in accordance with criteria promulgated by the Department
pursuant to the Okla homa Rural Investment for Sow Farms Program and
hewing to the standards set fort h by Humane Farm Animal Care.
C. Grant funds may be made available to eligible applicants
pursuant to evaluation by the Depart ment based on the following
criteria:
1. Preference may be given to the applicants whose:
a. swine operations are licensed or registered with this
state,
b. employee or contractor qualifications include care er-
tech certification, or higher education degre es,
including associate degre es, or
c. commitment to humane treatment of farm animals, with
respect to their lives and habits, ha s been
demonstrated; or, desire to commit to humane
facilities for pregnant sows has been well documented
and expressed; and
2. Consideration shall not be given to applica tions for:
a. the construction of individual gestation crates,
farrowing crates, or any farm facilities unrelated to
the humane housing of breeding sow s,
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b. farms outside of this state,
c. individual or group pens smaller than thirty-seven and
six-tenths (37.6) square feet of usable floor space
per sow,
d. facilities, companies, farms, and cooperatives that
will or plan to co-produce or co-locate pregnant sows
in confinement gestation stalls in o ther or associated
barns in this state,
e. facilities, companies, farms, and cooperatives that do
not pledge to phase out co mpletely and in perpetuity
within three (3) years of grant application date , or
f. entities, facilities, corporations, or fa rms less than
three (3) years old as of November 1, 202 4.
D. 1. Any information submitted to or compiled by the Oklahoma
Department of Commerce wi th respect to the financial statements,
trade secrets, or any other proprietary information of persons,
firms, associations, partnerships , agencies, corporations,
institutions of higher education, nonprofit research institutions ,
or other entities pursuant to the Oklahoma Rural Investment for Sow
Farms Program shall not be disc losed pursuant to the Oklahoma Open
Records Act or in public hea rings and shall be kept con fidential,
except to the extent that the person or entity which provided such
information or which is the subject of such information consents to
disclosure.
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2. An independent committee of reviewers, no fewer than three
and no more than seven, comprised entirely and equally of qualified
veterinarians, farmers, and experie nced animal well-being experts,
appointed by the Governor, shall be designated to analyze and
recommend projects for approval by the Oklahoma Department of
Commerce. This review committee shall not be exem pt from the
Oklahoma Open Meeting Act.
SECTION 5. There is hereby appropriated to the Oklahoma
Department of Commerce from any monies not otherwise appropriated
from the General Revenue Fund of the State Treasury for the fiscal
year ending June 30, 2025, the sum of Forty-seven Million Dollars
($47,000,000.00) to transfer to the Oklahoma Rural Investment for
Sow Farms Revolving Fund created pursu ant to Section 3 of this act.
SECTION 6. This act shall become effective July 1, 2024.
SECTION 7. It being immediately necessary for the preser vation
of the public peace, hea lth or safety, an emergency is hereby
declared to exist, by reason whereof thi s act shall take effect and
be in full force from and after its passage and appro val.
59-2-2954 CN 12/14/2023 11:47:33 AM