Agriculture panel approves change letting poultry growers mix spreading and hauling of litter

Representative Harden presented HB 2,975 to the House Agriculture Committee as a clarification to an earlier law governing poultry nutrient management. "What this bill does, it clears up some language," Harden said, explaining the bill spares growers from redoing entire nutrient management plans when there are no operational changes and allows a grower to "spread some litter and also haul it out."

The committee took up an untimely amendment to delete division 5 of the bill (page 10). The clerk moved to amend and the committee adopted the amendment by unanimous consent. Harden said the amendment was requested after consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture, who "didn't want to run this section."

Members pressed for specifics about plan durations and a 10‑ton threshold in the statute. Representative Branson asked why the bill uses six‑year plan increments; Harden replied that "just about all the plans are 6 year plans" and that six years aligns with existing practice. Department of Agriculture general counsel Tina Gunter explained the 10‑ton threshold that appears in the statute dates to the original 1998 law and is intended to exempt very small, backyard amounts from regulation, saying in committee, "If you're under 10 tons ... it's not regulated by this law at all. It's essentially unregulated."

After discussion, the sponsor moved a "do pass" on second reading. The committee conducted a roll call and staff announced 7 ayes, 0 nays; the chair declared HB 2,975 passed by the committee.

The committee did not identify any secondary changes to funding or implementation requirements during the hearing; staff and the Department of Agriculture will handle any technical guidance on thresholds and plan administration going forward.