Commodity boards; member nominations and terms, assessments, report. (HB1094)

Introduced By

Del. Michael Webert (R-Marshall) with support from co-patron Del. Daun Hester (D-Norfolk)

Description

Commodity boards; member nominations and terms; assessments. Alters the member nomination process and other functions of commodity boards that deal with apples, the beef industry, eggs, the horse industry, potatoes, peanuts, and the sheep industry. The bill removes the 30-day or 90-day deadline for submission of industry nominees for a seat on certain boards, as well as any requirement that there be two or more nominations for each seat. The bill repeals certain board-specific provisions related to appointments and creates in their place general provisions, applicable to a number of boards, which provide for four-year appointments, that a majority of the board constitutes a quorum, for the election of officers, and policies establishing no compensation for attendance at meetings but reimbursement for expenses of board members. The bill makes specific changes to individual boards, including (i) reducing the size of the Apple Board from nine to six members and adding Campbell County to the list of commercial apple-producing districts; (ii) conforming the Cotton Board assessment of 85 cents per bale to the current rate, as authorized by a 2006 referendum, of 95 cents per bale; and (iii) reducing the size of the Peanut Board from nine to eight members and removing employees of that board from eligibility for payment from the Peanut Fund. The bill directs the Tax Commissioner, upon request, to provide to the Egg Board copies of reports of the gross volume of products handled by each handler within the industry. The bill also bars the enforcement of certain commodity board laws that are expressly preempted by a federal act or agreement. Finally, the bill suspends until July 1, 2018, the collection of the cattle assessment by the Beef Industry Council (the Council) and directs the Council to survey industry members about the Council's utility and to report its findings to the General Assembly by January 1, 2018. Read the Bill »

Outcome

History