House Committee on Agriculture and Forestry

AGENDA

Via Zoom

February 23, 2021 - February 26, 2021

Last Updated 2/25/2021 6:26 PM

Meetings are livestreamed here unless otherwise noted

Tuesday, February 23, 2021

10:00 AM                   House Floor

Caucuses will be held following the Floor

1:00 PM                   21-0864 - An act relating to miscellaneous agricultural subjects

Diane Bothfeld, Director of Administrative Services & Dairy Policy, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

Dr. Kristin Haas, State Vet, Director, Food Safety, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

Ellen Kahler, Executive Director, Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund

Kelley McGill, Law Clerk, Office of Legislative Counsel

2:00 PM                   Break

2:15 PM                   H. 218 - An act relating to the sale of unpasteurized raw milk

E.B. Flory, Dairy Section Chief, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

Dr. Kent Henderson, Northwest Veterinary Associates, Vermont Veterinary Medical Association

Elisabeth Wirsing, Senior Environmental Health Program Manager, Department of Health

Natalie Kwit, State Public Health Veterinarian, Department of Health

Rich Larson, Owner, Larson Farm and Creamery

Kylie Cook, Owner, Sunday Bell Farm

Mollie Wills, Rural Vermont

Kelley McGill, Law Clerk, Office of Legislative Counsel

Michael O'Grady, Deputy Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel (3:00 PM)

3:30 PM                   Definition of Humane Officer

walk-through of new bill

Brynn Hare, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

4:00 PM                   Committee Adjourns

Wednesday, February 24, 2021

9:00 AM                   Definition of Humane Officer

Gwynn Zakov, Municipal Policy Advocate, Vermont League of Cities and Towns

Rep. John L. Bartholomew, former member, House Agriculture and Forestry Committee

-                                   Adequate Shelter for Livestock

Rep. John L. Bartholomew, former member, House Agriculture and Forestry Committee

Maddie Kempner, Policy Director, NOFA VT

Graham Unangst-Rufehacht, Policy Director, Rural Vermont

10:00 AM                   H. 88 - An act relating to certification of agricultural use for purposes of the use value appraisal program

possible vote on bill

Abby Shepard, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

10:30 AM                   Break

10:45 AM                   21-0864 - An act relating to miscellaneous agricultural subjects

Cary Giguere, Policy Director, Public Health and Agricultural Resource Management, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

Dr. Kristin Haas, State Vet, Director, Food Safety, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

Ryan Patch, Deputy Director, Water Quality Division, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

12:00 PM                   Committee Adjourns

1:15 PM                   House  Floor

15 minutes after Floor adjourns                   H. 186 - An act relating to the sale of shell eggs

Kelley McGill, Law Clerk, Office of Legislative Counsel

2:45 PM                   H. 67 - An act relating to bears doing damage to agricultural crops

Louis Porter, Commissioner, Department of Fish and Wildlife

Kelley McGill, Law Clerk, Office of Legislative Counsel

3:30 PM                   Committee Adjourns

Thursday, February 25, 2021

9:00 AM                   21-0900 - An act relating to establishing the Agricultural Innovation Board

Cary Giguere, Policy Director, Public Health and Agricultural Resource Management, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

Michael O'Grady, Deputy Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Kanika Gandhi, Agrichemical Section Chief, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

9:45 AM                   Break

10:00 AM                   Council of State Governments East

webinar from 10 - Noon

1:15 PM                   House Floor

2:00 PM                   Results of the Votes for Sergeant at Arms, Adjutant and Inspector General, Trustees of the UVM and State Agricultural College

Joint Assembly

15 minutes after Joint Assembly adjourns                   Adequate Shelter for Livestock

Report from the Livestock Care Standards Advisory Council

Dr. Kent Henderson, Northwest Veterinary Associates, Vermont Veterinary Medical Association

Dr. Ruth Blauwiekel, UVM Veterinarian, Vermont Veterinary Medical Association

Brynn Hare, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

3:00 PM                   21-0925 - An act relating to animal cruelty investigation response and training

Brynn Hare, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Friday, February 26, 2021

9:30 AM                   House Floor

15 minutes after Floor adjourns                   21-0925 - An act relating to animal cruelty investigation response and training

possible vote

11:00 AM                   21-0864 - An act relating to miscellaneous agricultural subjects

possible vote

Michael O'Grady, Deputy Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

12:00 PM                   Committee Adjourns

ATTENTION WITNESSES

Please email handouts to the committee assistant at least 24 hours before your scheduled meeting time. With few exceptions, any documents you send to a committee assistant, are open to the public and may be posted to the committee’s web page.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact

 Linda Leehman at lleehman@leg.state.vt.us