Committee removes proposed acreage fee (section 2a) from housing draft after receiving pushback

Chair of the House Committee on General & Housing said the committee would remove section 2a from the current omnibus housing draft after receiving "a lot of negative feedback" about a proposed fee on acreage in current use.

"How about a fee, like, $10 fee on acreage associated that was in current use… it could generate millions of dollars a year," the Chair said while describing the original suggestion as attractive for funding disability housing. Committee members responded that the idea raised definitional problems and could have unintended consequences for large forested parcels and the education fund.

Members cautioned that a study or bill touching current-use rules would be controversial and difficult to design. A committee member asked, "Well, do you really wanna break open current use?" and warned of implications for the education fund. The Chair said he would ask counsel to remove the language from the draft and suggested the fee idea could be introduced later as a standalone bill.

Members also noted practical limits: one member said the committee currently lacks money for new studies and that the state body governing current-use rules is revising its rules and soliciting public input, which could be a more appropriate venue for detailed policy work.

The committee did not vote on the fee; instead, members instructed counsel to take section 2a out of the next draft and reconsider the approach in future sessions when there is time and a clearer path forward. The Chair said the committee will revisit related housing bills, including S328 (omnibus housing) and S230 (labor), when it returns from lunch.