A few bills have been introduced in the House that we're currently keeping an eye on:
Right to Repair (H.81)
On Wednesday, February 14th, the Senate Agriculture Committee began hearing testimony on H.81, the Right to Repair bill that passed the House nearly unanimously last year. The bill would require original equipment manufacturers of agricultural and forestry equipment to make available—on fair and reasonable terms—the parts, tools, manuals, and diagnostic materials needed to fix their products. NOFA-VT Executive Director Grace Oedel testified in support of the bill on February 15th, alongside representatives from VPIRG, The Repair Association, and a logging industry trade association. The committee has not scheduled any further testimony on H.81 at this time, but we'll continue to provide updates on the bill as the session progresses.
Neonicotinoids (H.706)
In recent weeks, the House Agriculture, Food Resiliency and Forestry Committee has heard testimony from researchers, farmers, conservation groups, feed and seed dealers, and others regarding H.706, a bill that would prohibit the use of neonicotinoids in agriculture and other applications. NOFA-VT supports H.706 and phasing out the use of "neonics," which cause harm to pollinators, birds, soil organisms, and aquatic life, and that research increasingly shows do not increase yields or otherwise provide economic benefits to farmers. We expect this bill to be voted out of the House Agriculture Committee this week with some changes, including moving the implementation date for treated seeds to 2029 to align with New York's recently passed legislation.
Accessory On-Farm Businesses (H.128)
The House Agriculture, Food Resiliency and Forestry Committee has spent the past few weeks taking testimony on H.128, a bill that seeks to clarify and expand the existing exemptions for accessory on-farm businesses and small sawmills from Act 250, with the goal of expanding economic opportunities and reducing regulatory burdens on these working lands businesses. Many farmers and timber harvesters have testified on the bill, as well as the Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets and farm service providers. The House Agriculture Committee voted this bill out of committee this week and it will now be taken up by the House Environment & Energy Committee.
We'll provide updates on these bills and more soon!