Department of Agriculture policy bill laid over after members raise funding and enforcement questions

Chair Hansen moved House File 4350, the Department of Agriculture policy bill, and the committee adopted an A1 amendment. The bill makes multiple changes across agriculture statutes — including definitions related to agrivoltaic systems, plant variety and propagation, and revisions to the noxious-weed chapter — and originally included fee sections that would affect food-stand licensing.

Given fiscal concerns, Hansen offered an oral amendment to delete sections 21–23 (fee provisions); the committee adopted the oral amendment and the department said it could pursue those fee provisions later in a fiscal bill. Members questioned whether the bill's noxious-weed changes would create unfunded mandates for county and township agricultural inspectors. Anthony Cordele of the Department of Agriculture explained that county agricultural inspectors have long been required to enforce the weed law, that the role is historically unfunded, and that the department provides training and some grant support.

Because members had additional questions and the meeting was running late, Representative Hansen moved and the committee agreed to lay HF4350 over for further review.