HB2637: Loans and grants for agricultural best management practices; riparian buffers.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That § 62.1-229.1 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 62.1-229.1. Loans and grants for agricultural best management practices.

Loans or grants may be made from the Fund, in the Board's discretion, to an individual (i) any person for the construction, renovation, improvement, or equipping of facilities or structures to implement agricultural best management practices to prevent pollution of state waters, to; (ii) a local government which that has developed a low-interest loan program to provide loans or other incentives to facilitate the construction, renovation, improvement, or equipping of such facilities or structures,; or to (iii) a financial institution working with a local government to establish such a program pursuant to clause (ii). The Board shall develop guidelines for the administration of such loans and grants and shall determine the terms and conditions of any loan or grant from the Fund. For purposes of this section, facilities or structures to implement agricultural best management practices may include riparian buffers planted in trees and maintained in accordance with the terms and conditions of the loan or grant.

HOUSE BILL NO. 2637

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That § 62.1-229.1 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 62.1-229.1. Loans and grants for agricultural best management practices.

Loans or grants may be made from the Fund, in the Board's discretion, to an individual (i) any person for the construction, renovation, improvement, or equipping of facilities or structures to implement agricultural best management practices to prevent pollution of state waters, to; (ii) a local government which that has developed a low-interest loan program to provide loans or other incentives to facilitate the construction, renovation, improvement, or equipping of such facilities or structures,; or to (iii) a financial institution working with a local government to establish such a program pursuant to clause (ii). The Board shall develop guidelines for the administration of such loans and grants and shall determine the terms and conditions of any loan or grant from the Fund. For purposes of this section, facilities or structures to implement agricultural best management practices may include riparian buffers planted in trees and maintained in accordance with the terms and conditions of the loan or grant.