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PASSED:
HB 1172: Navigable Waters - HB 1172, passed the Senate on Tuesday with a 34 to 18 vote. This bill removes language related to the Public Trust Doctrine that was introduced in SB 115 last session, and it clarifies that the public’s right on navigable streams for passage, hunting, and fishing. While there were many concerns about the significant changes made to the state’s property and water rights during the 2023 session, the agribusiness community found the codification of the Public Trust Doctrine to be particularly problematic.
SB 420: Foreign Ownership of Ag Land - This Bill by Senator Jason Anavitarte, will prohibit agents of countries that are designated as adversaries to the United States from purchasing land around bases. The subject matter of this legislation has been a hot issue for many states around the country and Georgia is no different.
This particular language adds a retroactive piece to the bill which will force any person or entity that falls within the definition of an agent of an adversarial nation to either dispose of possessory interest or change their resident status within the next three years for land they already own.
The Governor's office has weighed in on parts of the legislation they believed to be problematic, but the bill passed with the Rules Committee amendment due to the late time frame in the session. This is most likely not the last time we will hear about this issue as it is widely expected to be headed toward a court battle as has been the case in other states.
HB 916: FY 2025 Budget - Lawmakers completed their only constitutional duty late on Thursday night by passing a $66.8 billion dollar budget with $36.1 billion of it being state money. This budget included a $2,500 raise for public school teachers which will boost average annual pay up above $65,000 annually. The spending plan also includes a 4% pay increase for State and University employees, while state law enforcement and child welfare workers will get an additional $3,000 on top of that. Additional education funding was found in the form of an increase for school buses and school security. The state also has many construction plans for the next few years which were appropriated $60 million, with the plan to fund these projects with cash from high state revenues rather than borrowing like they typically would. As always, we like to look at a few areas that pertain to agriculture and our industry and those can be seen below:
Georgia Department of Agriculture
- $2,133,856 to go into the Georgia Agricultural Trust Fund
- $900,000 was added for one-time funds for agricultural improvements
- $150,000 remains for Feral Hog Taskforce
- $267,861 to provide funds for two shellfish inspection and certification programs.
State Soil and Water Commission
- Removed the $72,000 that was added by the House for the Master Farmer Program
Georgia Department of Economic Development
- $200,000 increase in funds for contracts to support the global export of Georgia manufactured and agricultural products.
Environmental Protection Division of Dept. of Natural Resources
- $350,617 to increase funds for five additional positions to assist with agricultural water withdrawal permitting
Georgia State Finance and Investment Commission Capital Projects
- Includes $10.3 million for the purchase of agricultural education equipment statewide
- $4.4 million for Design and renovation of Dept. of Agriculture Building
- $22 million Georgia Agricultural Expo Construction of new goat, sheep, and swine barn
Student Finance Commission
- Included the additional $35,000 for the Veterinary Loan Repayment Program
SB 340: Diesel Exhaust Fluid in GATE Program - While most people thought DEF was already included, some retailers have refused to recognize DEF used for agriculture production as a part of the GATE tax exemption program. Rep. Joe Campbell worked to add clarity to the issue when he inserted language in SB 340 in the House Ways & Means Committee that would make it official.
DEF is Federally mandated in tier 4 engines. The bill received final passage.
HB 1223: Soil Amendments - HB 1223, carried by Rep. Rob Leverett, pertains to the regulations of business or individuals who are involved in the application of soil amendments. The bill would prohibit the application of soil amendments on a site or separate site in close proximity if the owner of such site or the person who has applied or distributed a soil amendment on such site is subject to a consent order, enforcement action, or ongoing investigation by the Environmental Protection Division or Georgia Department of Ag. This includes actions regarding the contamination of surface water, groundwater, or soil contamination. The bill is in response to local issues occurring in Rep. Leverett's and other districts and is an effort to give the Department of Ag more authority in halting bad actors. The soil amendment program is vital to several sectors of agribusiness including the poultry industry.
Did Not Pass
HB 1274: Veterinary Loan Repayment Program - Every year a lot of good bills tend to get caught up at the end of session due to the high volume of legislation and limited amount of time. Unfortunately, HB 1274, which would’ve revamped the Veterinary Loan Repayment Program ended up getting caught in the traffic jam.
Carried by Representative David Huddleston, this bill would have been huge for rural communities and producers that rely on large food animal veterinarians. Aimed at current veterinary students or recent graduates, this bill looked to amend the program from an award that one would have to apply for annually to a one-time three-year program. This legislation would allow for each recipient to receive $25,000 per year, provided they practice veterinary medicine in a rural county with a population of 50,000 or less.
On a positive note, there seemed to be no opposition to the bill and additional money was added to the program in preparation for the passage of the legislation. While this session is officially over, we are already working to get this on the docket for next year and working different angles to try and see what can be done in the offseason to benefit the existing program.
Looking Ahead:
HR 1554: House Study Committee on Navigable Streams - The debate on HB 1172 revolved around the definition of navigable waters of the State and some ideological interpretations of public trust doctrine versus common law. The latter was settled with passage of the bill, but the debate on the definition of navigable waters will continue this summer with a new study committee. HR 1554 created a study committee that will be tasked with reviewing the standing definition of navigable waters in Georgia and whether that definition should be revised. Environmental groups would like to see the definition expanded to include any water way that supports a small water craft (such as a kayak or paddle board). Current legal precedent states that navigable waters are those that can support a vessel loaded with freight in the act of commerce. This study committee will have our attention over the summer.
Retiring Legislators:
There are several members of the General Assembly retiring this year with ties to the Ag industry. Rep. Clay Pirkle (R-Ashburn) is retiring after 10 years in the legislature. Our GMP members will remember Rep. Pirkle for his work on the Georgia Raw Milk Act in 2022. Rep. Penny Houston (R-Nashville) is retiring from her long-held house seat in Cook and Berrien Counties. Chairlady Houston was the chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee that oversaw the Georgia Departments of Agriculture, Natural Resources, Economic Development and more. Also retiring from the House is Rep. David Knight (R-Griffin), the longtime chairman of Game, Fish and Parks and Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman for Higher Education. His district was combined with that of Rep. Beth Camp (R-Concord) during the redistricting process last fall. On the Senate side, Sen. Shelly Echols (R-Gainesville) is retiring after serving on the Senate Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee.
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