HB2109: Agriculture and Consumer Services, Board of; expands membership.

HOUSE BILL NO. 2109

Offered January 13, 2021
Prefiled January 12, 2021
A BILL to amend and reenact § 3.2-109 of the Code of Virginia, relating to Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services; membership.
Patron-- Fariss

Committee Referral Pending

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That § 3.2-109 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 3.2-109. Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services; appointments; qualifications; terms of office.

The Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services is established as a policy board, within the meaning of § 2.2-2100, in the executive branch of state government and may adopt regulations in accordance with the provisions of this title. The Board shall consist of (i) one member from each congressional district, at least eight of whom shall be currently practicing farmers, and (ii) two three at-large members, one of whom shall be a structural commercial applicator of pesticides and, one of whom shall be engaged in the commercial sale or application of agricultural pesticides, and one of whom shall be an expert in companion animal welfare employed by a releasing agency in the Commonwealth; all members to be appointed by the Governor for a term of four years and confirmed by the General Assembly. The presidents of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and Virginia State University or their designees shall be ex officio members of the Board with voting privileges. All members of the Board shall be citizens of the Commonwealth. No member of the Board, except the ex officio members, shall be eligible for more than two successive terms;, provided that persons appointed to fill vacancies may serve two additional successive terms after the terms of the vacancies they were appointed to fill have expired. All vacancies in the membership of the Board shall be filled by the Governor for the unexpired term.