September 2011 - Iowa Pork Producers Association

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New Iowa laws to benefit pork producers Iowa pork producers fared well in the 2011 session of the 84th Iowa General Assembly with five bills of interest passed and signed into law. Here is a summary of the key legislation. Pseudorabies Bill, H.F. 557 H.F. 557 has been signed into law. This bill deletes a current Iowa Code section that requires that swine returning from an exhibition to its home or moved to a purchaser’s herd following an exhibition or consignment sale must be isolated and retested negative for the disease between 30 and 60 days after reaching the destination. Current code prohibiting swine with pseudorabies or from a pseudorabies-infected herd to be shown or displayed at an exhibition did not change. Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship rulemaking authority for exhibition movement requirements also remain in the law. Following an amendment by the House Ag Committee, the bill replaces the deleted code section with the following: • Pseudorabies is included in the code definition of infectious or contagious diseases under IDALS regulation. • The sponsor of an exhibition (defined as an event on the Iowa State Fairgrounds under the State Fair Authority’s control, an event under the control of a county or district fair, or any event classified as an exhibition by IDALS rules must retain a veterinarian to supervise the health of swine at the exhibition. • IDALS is to adopt a form and procedures for the sponsor of the exhibition to submit a report with information required by IDALS, including the address of where the swine at the exhibition came from and where the swine will return to after the exhibition. • The bill would go into effect on Jan. 1, 2012. Family Farm LLC Bill, S.F. 530 S.F. 530 allowing a property tax credit for family farm limited liability companies (LLCs) has been signed into law. Under the new law, family farm LLCs can claim a property tax credit in the same way that other farms (such as sole proprietorships or family farm corporations) can claim the credit. Water Quality Incentives to IDALS In the final ag and natural resources appropriations bill, which has been signed into law, additional 8 SEPTEMBER 2011
funding was provided for voluntary conservation programs. These new resources will provide IDALS with much needed funds to assist in nitrogen and wetland on-the-ground projects. In addition, legislators pulled livestock and other fines administered by the Iowa Deptment of Natural Resources from the IDNR budget and placed those dollars into the Iowa Watershed Improvement Board (WIRB), administered by IDALS to further its voluntary on-the-ground water quality projects. Livestock Feeding Bill, S.F. 478 This bill has been signed into law. It creates a state funding mechanism to deal with circumstances in which owners of livestock become financially unable to provide immediate sustenance (feed, water, adequate shelter) to their farm animals. The new law renames the manure storage indemnity fund to the “livestock remediation fund.” In addition, it allows IDALS to petition the courts for a superior lien on livestock fed under this program to recoup state-paid expenditures. Water Resources Council and Federal 319 Funds, S.F. 535 S.F. 535 has been signed into law. This legislation transfers the Water Resources Council from the office of the governor to the secretary of agriculture. In this bill’s original form, it also provided for the transfer of powers and duties for the administration of Section 319 of the federal Clean Water Act from IDNR to IDALS. However, late in the session, this bill was amended to remove all language pertaining to the transfer of the 319 funds administration. The final bill only transferred the Water Resources Council to IDALS. Ag Protection Act (Video and False Pretenses Bill), H.F. 589 This bill passed the House but did not pass the Senate and therefore was not enacted into law. The bill would have prohibited tampering with property associated with an animal facility or crop operation and would have prohibited the production and possession of an audio or visual recording without the owner’s consent. The bill would also have prohibited anyone from gaining access to an animal facility or crop operation under false pretenses. Finally, the bill would have prohibited making a false statement as part of an employment application with the intent to commit an unauthorized act. The Iowa attorney general’s office considered the bill, as passed by the House, to be unconstitutional under First Amendment rights to free speech if it was enforced against those who had possession of a prohibited video, but did not participate in the production of the video. Subsequently, amendments to the bill were considered in the Senate to address these constitutional concerns. One amendment would have essentially eliminated the prohibition on production and possession of a video, but it retained the prohibitions on gaining access to an animal facility or crop operation under false pretenses and making a false statement as part of an employment application with the intent to commit an unauthorized act. The amendment would also have added prohibitions on conspiracy and aiding and abetting in committing the prohibited actions. None of these amendments passed and the Legislature adjourned without passing any version of the bill, although the measure remains alive for action in 2012. Electrical Licensing Requirements, H.F. 618 This bill provided agriculture with a complete exemption from the current electrical licensing and inspection requirements. It passed the House, but was considered dead in the Senate. To move the issue forward, Sen. Steve Sodders and others developed a compromise, which IPPA supported, that would give farmers a seat on the electrical board that adopts rules on electrical issues, provide an exemption for small projects (100 amp or less), include a general maintenance provision, and an emergency provision in the case of major failure that might impact operational flow (power outage to hog facilities or drier failure in the middle of harvest). Although IPPA supported the full exemption, the association also sought the compromise to give members some relief from the current system. The Legislature adjourned without taking any action. SEPTEMBER 2011 9
Page 1 and 2: IOWA Pork Producer www.iowapork.org
Page 3 and 4: September Highlights 04 2012 IPPA A
Page 5 and 6: SEPTEMBER 2011 5
Page 7: IPPA contacted the Tama County Pork
Page 11 and 12: For your pigs, your sows, your soil
Page 13 and 14: The Iowa/Texas Pork Youth Leadershi
Page 15 and 16: RAGBRAI riders get taste of Iowa ag
Page 17 and 18: Iowans join together to celebrate f
Page 19 and 20: Iowa Select Farms enhances animal w
Page 21 and 22: Journey time also affected the pig
Page 23 and 24: Food and farming celebration featur
Page 25 and 26: 2011 Iowa State Fair Summary IPPA b
Page 27 and 28: 2011 Iowa State Fair Summary Swine
Page 29 and 30: 2011 Iowa State Fair Summary Story
Page 31 and 32: • Heat stroke • Long work perio
Page 33 and 34: Conduct a presentation for elementa
Page 35 and 36: Tama County Four hours are all it t
Page 37 and 38: investigations of the egg industry.
Page 39 and 40: The DVD is accompanied by a wall ch
Page 41 and 42: Pork: Delicious in so many ways! Pe
Page 43 and 44: P r o D u c e r S ’ M A R K e t P

September 2011 - Iowa Pork Producers Association

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