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Changes affect farm preservation and farm-to-school programs, invasive plants and veterinary practices
Five new agriculture laws went into effect Oct. 1 in Maryland. The laws impact farmland preservation, invasive plants, veterinary practice regulations, and farm-to-school reporting requirements.
"All five bills are important to the work and mission of the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA)," said Agriculture Secretary Buddy Hance. "We are pleased to have the tools these bills provide to strengthen our programs and our abilities to serve the citizens of Maryland. We thank Governor O'Malley and the General Assembly for their support of our important work."
The agriculture-related laws adopted during the 2011 General Assembly Session that took effect are listed below.
HB 214 Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation (MALPF) Critical Farms Fund Allows MALPF to fully implement a statewide Critical Farms Program by finalizing the criteria a property must meet to be considered a "critical farm." As of Oct. 1, MALPF is authorized to provide interim or emergency financing (if funding is available) for easement acquisitions or fee simple acquisitions of a critical farm. Funding remains discretionary, but the bill also allows MALPF to solicit funds from other
sources.
HB 831 Agriculture - Invasive Plants Prevention and Control Requires MDA to establish an Invasive Plants Advisory Committee (IPAC) that will advise the secretary on regulations that should be adopted to establish a risk assessment protocol for invasive plants within one year, and establish lists of invasive plants using the protocol within two years.
HB 751 Agriculture - Jane Lawton Farm to School Program Reporting Requires each local educational agency that participates in the Jane Lawton Farm-to-School program (i.e., also known as Homegrown School Lunch Week) to report to MDA by Jan. 1 of each year about the types and amounts of farm products they purchased from Maryland farms.
SB 322 State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners - Registered Veterinary Technician Gives the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners (SBVME) authority to adopt regulations that allow registered veterinary techs to perform certain medical procedures while working under the direct supervision of a veterinarian. Although the law took effect Oct. 1, the
SBVME must amend its current regulations to articulate what those procedures are before a veterinarian can delegate those additional medical-related tasks. The Board¹s Veterinary Technician Committee is researching other state laws and regulations and will make recommendations for the Board's consideration.
SB 146 State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners Licensing Permits the SBVME to direct an applicant, veterinarian or veterinary practitioner to submit to a mental or physical exam when the Board has reasonable evidence
indicating that an individual is incompetent to practice veterinary
medicine.
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