Committee hears support for creating state noxious-weed coordinator, delays vote

The Senate Committee on Agriculture and Environment took testimony March 20 on HB1931HD2, a bill to establish a state noxious-weed coordinator, update designation and management processes, allow public proposals, require notice and public reporting, and strengthen enforcement and penalties.

Patrick Chi of DL&R noted his agency’s written support and the record reflected the agency standing on that testimony. Stephanie Easley, introduced as representing a coordinating group on alien test species, told the committee that the state’s noxious-weed statutes were primarily written in the 1950s and do not allow modernization through administrative rules; she recommended preserving flexibility by leaving certain distribution definitions to regulation and pointed to Section 10 as providing expedited rulemaking authority.

Clerks reported 38 people in support and no opposition or comments for HB1931. Committee members noted they lacked a quorum and postponed decision-making on HB1931 to the committee’s reconvening on Wednesday, March 25 at 3:05 p.m. in room 224.

Supporters said the bill would allow agencies to update the regulatory approach to varying weed biology and management needs; testimony suggested the changes would streamline administrative updates rather than require repeated legislative fixes. No vote was taken.