2010 Utah Legislation of Interest to Slow Food Utah

Contents

There are a few pieces of legislation in the 2010 Utah Legislative session that relate to issues of concern to Slow Food Utah.

Slow Food Utah encourages responsible citizen input in the legislative process.

Below is a brief summary of each bill.

Agriculture Sustainability Act

H.B. 102 "Agriculture Sustainability Act" (Full text available at this link.)
Summary Page
Sponsor: Rep. Jack Draxler, North Logan, Cache County.

This bill:
1) defines terms;
2) requires a county to establish an Agriculture Sustainability Investment Fund (fund);
3) requires a county to deposit a rollback tax collected by the county into the fund;
4) authorizes the county to appropriate money in the fund as directed by an appropriation plan;
5) in certain circumstances, directs the county to transfer money from the fund to the Leray McAllister Critical Land Conservation Program;
6) creates the Agricultural Preservation Selection and Funding Committee(committee);
7) authorizes the committee to:
    a) appoint nonvoting members;
    b) adopt an appropriation plan;
    c) adopt land evaluation and site assessment criteria;
    d) approve or reject an application for an agriculture conservation easement; and
    e) approve an instrument to be recorded to secure an agriculture conservation 27 easement;
8) authorizes the Department of Agriculture and Food to hold an agriculture conservation easement approved by the committee;
9) authorizes the department to annually review a property subject to an agriculture conservation easement;
10) prohibits an owner of property subject to an agriculture conservation easement from using the property for nonagriculture production;
11) establishes certain protections for an agriculture conservation easement, including:
    a) prohibiting a political subdivison from enacting a law, ordinance, or regulation that would unreasonably restrict agricultural production;
    b) requiring that a political subdivision prohibit, in certain circumstances, activities on property subject to an agriculture conservation easement; and
   c) prohibiting a political subdivision from condemning property subject to an agriculture conservation easement without complying with certain requirements;
12) authorizes a one-time increase in the calculation of a taxing entity's certified tax rate;
13) amends related tax provisions; and
14) makes technical corrections.

According to a recent Salt Lake Tribune article, the Agriculture Sustainability Act would:

• Taxes collected when farmland is developed would be earmarked to buy development rights from other farmers who want their property to remain in agricultural production.
• Counties receiving these taxes would be required to place the money into a fund to pay farmers and ranchers who are willing to place a conservation easement on their property so the land cannot be developed.
• County boards would select properties to be placed in the ag-lands program, and only productive farmlands would be eligible.

Rainwater Harvesting

S.B 32 "Rainwater Harvesting" (Full text available at this link.)
Summary Page
Sponsor: Sen. Scott K. Jenkins, Plain City, Weber County.

This bill:
1) provides for the collection and use of precipitation without obtaining a water right under certain conditions; and
2) makes technical corrections.

See article: "Lawmakers want to legalize backyard rainwater use." Jan. 28, 2010.

Vending Machines in Public Schools

S.B 49 "Vending Machines in Public Schools" (Full text available at this link.)
Summary Page
Sponsor: Sen. Pat Jones, Holladay, Salt Lake County.

This bill:
1) provides a list of allowed beverages that may be sold in vending machines atelementary and secondary schools; and
2) establishes compliance dates.

See related Salt Lake Tribune editorial "Nutrition message: Schools shouldn't peddle junk food."