02-24 11:09 H.B. 510
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Agricultural Amendments
2025 GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Jennifer Dailey-Provost
Senate Sponsor:
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LONG TITLE
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General Description:
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This bill creates a requirement for the Department of Agriculture and Food to study issues
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related to local food availability.
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Highlighted Provisions:
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This bill:
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▸ defines "local food supply";
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▸ requires the Department of Agriculture and Food (department) to study the barriers and
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gaps related to increasing the availability of local food in the state, including issues
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related to:
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● the intrastate food supply;
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● crop production and optimization;
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● the agricultural workforce; and
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● the capital funding of local food production;
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▸ requires the department to report the findings and recommendations of the study to the
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Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Interim Committee; and
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▸ implements a sunset date for the study.
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Money Appropriated in this Bill:
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None
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Other Special Clauses:
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None
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Utah Code Sections Affected:
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AMENDS:
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63I-2-204, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2024, Third Special Session, Chapter 5
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ENACTS:
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4-2-1101, Utah Code Annotated 1953
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Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
H.B. 510 H.B. 510 02-24 11:09
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Section 1. Section 4-2-1101 is enacted to read:
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Part 11. Agricultural Studies
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4-2-1101 . Local food study.
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(1) As used in this section, "local food" means an agricultural product that is:
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(a) produced, processed, and distributed for sale or consumption within the state; and
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(b) sold to an end consumer within the state.
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(2)(a) The department shall study the barriers and gaps related to increasing local food
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availability in the state, including analysis of:
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(i) the intrastate food supply chain;
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(ii) crop production and optimization;
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(iii) the agricultural workforce; Ĥ→ [ and] ←Ĥ
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(iv) the capital funding of local food production Ĥ→ [.] ;
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and
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(v) federal and state regulatory burdens on local food production. ←Ĥ
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(b) The department shall seek input from a wide range of stakeholders for the study
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described in Subsection (2)(a), including a diverse group of the state's agricultural
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producers based on geography, operation size. and operation type.
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(3) The study described in Subsection (2) shall:
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(a) research the production costs and economic impacts for agricultural operators to:
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(i) voluntarily seek to implement or explore various crop types, including the
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production costs to, and economic impacts on, agricultural operators that seek out
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assistance to incorporate new traditional or alternative crop types into an existing
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operation; and
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(ii) maintain, modernize, and upgrade equipment;
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(b) research the barriers to entry associated with careers in agriculture by reviewing:
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(i) existing challenges;
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(ii) available career development and hiring resources;
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(iii) programs in other states that support individuals interested in pursuing careers in
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agriculture;
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(iv) opportunities for new agricultural producers to use the expertise and capital of
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existing agricultural producers; and
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(v) the potential for creating a small farm incubator program;
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(c) research gaps in the state's food supply chain with respect to local food, including:
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(i) aggregation;
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(ii) distribution;
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(iii) storage; and
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(iv) processing; and
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(d) propose potential funding solutions to address the issues identified by the
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department's research under this Subsection (3), including recommendations for:
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(i) potential grant programs;
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(ii) potential investment by private capital; and
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(iii) available funding from state and federal sources.
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(4)(a) The department shall report to the Natural Resources, Agriculture, and
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Environment Interim Committee at or before the committee's June 2026 interim
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meeting.
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(b) The report described in Subsection (4)(a) shall include:
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(i) research findings related to each study item described in Subsection (3); and
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(ii) policy solutions related to each study item described in Subsection (3).
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(c) The report described in Subsection (4)(a) may include recommendations for
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legislation and legislative appropriations.
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Section 2. Section 63I-2-204 is amended to read:
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63I-2-204 . Repeal dates: Title 4.
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(1) Section 4-2-1101, Local food study, is repealed July 1, 2026.
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[(1)] (2) Section 4-11-117, Beekeeping working group -- Development of standards, is
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repealed May 1, 2025.
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[(2)] (3) Subsection 4-41a-102(6), regarding the Cannabis Research Review Board, is
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repealed July 1, 2026.
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[(3)] (4) Section 4-46-104, Transition, is repealed July 1, 2024.
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Section 3. Effective date.
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This bill takes effect on May 7, 2025.
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