Vermont 2025-2026 Regular Session

Vermont House Bill H0386 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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1	1	BILL AS INTRODUCED H.386
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6	6	H.386 1
7	7	Introduced by Representative Surprenant of Barnard 2
8	8	Referred to Committee on 3
9	9	Date: 4
10	10	Subject: Agriculture; succession planning; land access 5
11	11	Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to establish an 6
12	12	Agricultural Land Transfer Assistance Program at the Agency of Agriculture, 7
13	13	Food and Markets to assist owners of agricultural land in connecting with or 8
14	14	identifying prospective purchasers who intend to maintain the land for farming. 9
15	15	An act relating to establishing an Agricultural Land Transfer Assistance 10
16	16	Program 11
17	17	It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 12
18	18	Sec. 1. 6 V.S.A. chapter 208 is added to read: 13
19	19	CHAPTER 208. AGRICULTURAL LAND TRANSFER ASSISTANCE 14
20	20	PROGRAM 15
21	21	§ 4651. DEFINITIONS 16
22	22	As used in this chapter: 17
23	23	(1) “Agency” means the Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets. 18
24	24	(2) “Farming” has the same meaning as in 10 V.S.A. § 6001(22). 19
25	25	(3) “Secretary” means the Secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets. 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.386
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30	30	§ 4652. AGRICULTURAL LAND TRANSFER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM 1
31	31	The Agricultural Land Transfer Assistance Program is established at the 2
32	32	Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets to: 3
33	33	(1) identify agricultural land in the State that may be available for 4
34	34	transfer or succession; 5
35	35	(2) provide farm owners with assistance in succession planning or 6
36	36	finding willing purchasers who will maintain the land for farming; 7
37	37	(3) assist new farmers in accessing capital or financing to purchase 8
38	38	agricultural land; 9
39	39	(4) connect owners of agricultural land with purchasers willing to retain 10
40	40	the land for farming; and 11
41	41	(5) implement the assistance, tools, and programs established under this 12
42	42	chapter. 13
43	43	§ 4653. FARM OWNERSHIP SUCCESSION PLANNING 14
44	44	(a) The Secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets, after consultation with 15
45	45	the Secretary of Commerce and Community Development, shall establish the 16
46	46	Farm Ownership Succession Planning Program to provide farmers assistance 17
47	47	with planning for succession of ownership of agricultural land. 18
48	48	(b)(1) As part of the Program, the Secretary shall develop a succession 19
49	49	planning toolkit that can be used by farm owners who are planning on selling 20
50	50	or closing their farm. The toolkit shall include the following: 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.386
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55	55	(A) a summary of financial resources available to prospective 1
56	56	farmers interested in buying farms and farmland for the purpose of farming; 2
57	57	(B) an itemized list of all farming-related education and support 3
58	58	programs in place at public and private institutions of higher learning in the 4
59	59	State; 5
60	60	(C) a list of State-supported economic development funding for 6
61	61	farming and for sustaining farming; 7
62	62	(D) a list of organizations in the State and in adjoining states that 8
63	63	auction and sell farming equipment and farming supplies; 9
64	64	(E) a list of insurance and financial services requirements impacting 10
65	65	the sale and purchasing of farms and farmland; 11
66	66	(F) forms, legal templates, and other resources that may be helpful in 12
67	67	exercising the transfer of agricultural land; and 13
68	68	(G) a directory of professionals, such as attorneys or accountants, that 14
69	69	have experience in completing farm transfers. 15
70	70	(2) The Secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets shall make the 16
71	71	toolkit available on the Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets’ website to 17
72	72	any person who requests the toolkit. 18
73	73	(c) As part of the Program, the Secretary shall conduct at least three 19
74	74	educational workshops a year for the purpose of connecting owners of 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.386
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79	79	agricultural land who are planning on selling farmland with prospective 1
80	80	farmers interested in purchasing or leasing agricultural land. 2
81	81	(d) The Secretary shall train Agency staff or contract for services to aid 3
82	82	farmers exiting farming and those beginning farmers navigate the land transfer 4
83	83	process with the tools and resources available under the Program. These 5
84	84	persons shall be known as land transfer navigators, and they shall be available 6
85	85	to meet with prospective sellers and purchasers individually to facilitate lands 7
86	86	transfers that maintain agricultural land for farming. Land transfer navigators 8
87	87	shall also provide assistance to sellers and purchasers regarding the regulatory 9
88	88	requirements related to land transfer and related to the ownership or operation 10
89	89	of a farm, such as compliance with the Required Agricultural Practices. 11
90	90	§ 4654. AGRICULTURAL LAND PORTAL 12
91	91	The Secretary shall develop an agricultural land portal as an online tool on 13
92	92	the Agency’s website that allows persons seeking to sell agricultural land to 14
93	93	connect with persons seeking to purchase agricultural land. The tool shall 15
94	94	include those public postings of agricultural land available for sale or lease, 16
95	95	and instructions on how prospective purchasers can connect with sellers. 17
96	96	§ 4655. LAND TRANSFER AND SUCCESSION BOARD 18
97	97	(a) Creation. There is created the Land Transfer and Succession Board, 19
98	98	which for administrative purposes shall be attached to the Agency of 20
99	99	Agriculture, Food and Markets. 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.386
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104	104	(b) Organization of Board. The Board shall be composed of: 1
105	105	(1) the Secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets or designee; 2
106	106	(2) a representative of the Vermont Farm and Forest Viability Program 3
107	107	at the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, appointed by the Speaker of 4
108	108	the House; 5
109	109	(3) a representative of the Vermont Land Trust, appointed by the 6
110	110	Committee on Committees; 7
111	111	(4) a representative of Land for Good, appointed by the Speaker of the 8
112	112	House; and 9
113	113	(5) a representative of the Vermont Farm to Plate Initiative, appointed 10
114	114	by the Committee on Committees. 11
115	115	(c) Member terms. The members of the Board shall be appointed for terms 12
116	116	of three years or until the member’s earlier resignation or removal. A vacancy 13
117	117	shall be filled by the appointing authority for the remainder of the unexpired 14
118	118	term. An appointed member shall serve not more than three consecutive three-15
119	119	year terms. 16
120	120	(d) Powers. The Board shall: 17
121	121	(1) assist the Secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets with 18
122	122	implementation of the requirements of this chapter, including fundraising and 19
123	123	development of expertise in land succession or acquisition; and 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.386
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128	128	(2) recommend programs or tools to develop to assist in the transition of 1
129	129	agricultural lands in Vermont from current farmers to those persons with 2
130	130	aspirations to farm. 3
131	131	(e) Officers; committees. The Board may elect officers, establish one or 4
132	132	more committees or subcommittees, and adopt procedural rules as it shall 5
133	133	determine necessary and appropriate to perform its work. 6
134	134	(f) Quorum; meetings; voting. A majority of the sitting members shall 7
135	135	constitute a quorum, and action taken by the Board may be authorized by a 8
136	136	majority of the members present and voting at any regular or special meeting at 9
137	137	which a quorum is present. The Board may permit any or all members to 10
138	138	participate in a regular or special meeting by, or conduct the meeting through 11
139	139	the use of, any means of communication, including an electronic, 12
140	140	telecommunications, and video- or audio-conferencing conference telephone 13
141	141	call, by which all members participating may simultaneously or sequentially 14
142	142	communicate with each other during the meeting. A member participating in a 15
143	143	meeting by this means is deemed to be present in person at the meeting. 16
144	144	(g) Compensation. Private sector members shall be entitled to per diem 17
145	145	compensation authorized under 32 V.S.A. § 1010(b) for each day spent in the 18
146	146	performance of their duties, and each member shall be reimbursed from the 19
147	147	Fund for the member’s actual and necessary expenses incurred in carrying out 20
148	148	the member’s duties. 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.386
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153	153	Sec. 2. TAX INCENTIVES FOR LAND TRANSFER AND SUCCESSION; 1
154	154	REPORT 2
155	155	The Secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets, after consultation with the 3
156	156	Commissioner of Taxes, shall submit to the House Committees on Agriculture, 4
157	157	Food Resiliency, and Forestry and on Ways and Means and the Senate 5
158	158	Committees on Agriculture and on Finance recommended tax incentives or 6
159	159	other financial incentives that would facilitate transfer or succession of 7
160	160	agricultural lands from current farm owners to prospective farm owners. 8
161	161	Sec. 3. APPROPRIATION 9
162	162	In addition to other funds appropriated to the Agency of Agriculture, Food 10
163	163	and Markets in fiscal year 2026, the sum of $250,000.00 is appropriated to the 11
164	164	Agency from the General Fund in fiscal year 2026 for implementation by the 12
165	165	Agency of the Agricultural Land Transfer Assistance Program established in 13
166	166	6 V.S.A. chapter 208. 14
167	167	Sec. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE 15
168	168	This act shall take effect on July 1, 2025. 16