Committee approves bill to keep locally raised extension funds under local control

The Senate Agriculture Committee advanced House Bill 35 57 to protect locally raised funds for county extension services by requiring those funds to be held in distinct local accounts rather than commingled with state-controlled accounts.

Sponsor Senator Bullard said the intent is to ensure donations raised locally remain available to the county extension that raised them and are not swept into broader institutional accounts. The bill would require distinct accounts for local donations and establish that state-appropriated or federal funds be held separately.

Senators asked how long the current structure had existed and raised hypothetical operational questions (for example, whether a parent buying pizza for students could be reimbursed quickly from a local account). The sponsor said the language will be clarified where necessary and that emergency provisions may be removed during drafting.

The committee approved the measure on a roll call (10 ayes, 2 nays). Committee members encouraged the sponsor to consult with OSU and local extension offices about operational details before floor consideration.