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2007 SESSION

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Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources

Chairman: Charles R. Hawkins

Clerk: Hobie Lehman, Charles Shotton
Staff: M. Farber, E. Porter
Date of Meeting: January 15, 2007
Time and Place: 9:00 AM, Senate Room B

S.B. 797

Patron: Potts

Farm-to-school website.  Requires the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services to establish a website to promote Virginia farm products to educational institutions.

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 3.1-14.4, relating to establishing a farm-to-school website.

072535788

S.B. 798

Patron: Locke

Sewage overflows.  Authorizes the State Water Control Board to issue administrative orders to owners of municipal sewer systems that need corrective actions to prevent sanitary sewer overflows. Places a "safe harbor" provision into Virginia law similar to that found in Section 309 of the Clean Water Act.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 62.1-44.19:2 and 62.1-44.29 of the Code of Virginia and to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 62.1-44.19:2.1, relating to the prevention of sewage overflows and the pollution of state waters.

078857750

S.B. 806

Patron: Puller

Donations of food to charitable causes; exception to food service regulations.  Provides an exception for charitable organizations that engage in food distribution to the needy from both state and local regulations that require commercial-grade kitchens and equipment.  Includes non-profit homeless shelters and any volunteer who prepares food for such organizations under the definition of "charitable organizations" for purposes of this exception.  This bill will take effect at the time of its passage due to the nature of its subject.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 35.1-14.2 of the Code of Virginia, relating to donations of food to charitable organizations; exception to regulations.

071709796

EMERGENCY

S.B. 821

Patron: Devolites Davis

Violation of erosion and sediment control ordinances. Increases local discretion to impose a civil penalty for a violation of its erosion and sediment control ordinance.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 10.1-562 of the Code of Virginia, relating to violations of erosion and sediment control laws; penalty.

072545726

S.B. 882

Patron: Deeds

Loss of hunting lands.  Establishes a policy that there will be no net loss of public lands on which hunting occurs.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 29.1-103 of the Code of Virginia, relating to the loss of public lands for hunting.

078106724

S.B. 917

Patron: Howell

Donation of food to charity organizations. Provides that the Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services, in conjunction with the Board of Health, shall promulgate regulations permitting any person to donate food prepared in his private residence to any political subdivision or to any charity organization, which is exempt from taxation under 26 U.S.C. § 501 (c) (3), for distribution to needy persons. The bill likewise provides that the Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services, in conjunction with the Board of Health, shall promulgate regulations permitting any political subdivision and any charity organization, which is exempt from taxation under 26 U.S.C. § 501 (c) (3), that is engaged in a food distribution program for needy persons to distribute any food properly donated to it. In addition, the bill prohibits a locality from enacting or enforcing any general law, special act, state regulation, or local ordinance or regulation that imposes conditions or requirements inconsistent with or more stringent than the regulations promulgated by the Board. This bill contains an emergency clause.

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Article 1 of Chapter 20 of Title 3.1 a section numbered 3.1-364.1, relating to donation of food to charity organizations.

074728744

S.B. 925

Patron: Ticer

Methods to determine opacity. Authorizes the Executive Director of the Department of Environmental Quality to use various methods to determine whether opacity requirements or opacity limits for air quality are being met.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 10.1-1307.3 of the Code of Virginia, relating to opacity standards for the control of air pollution.

072548828

S.B. 930

Patron: Ticer

Humane investigators. Restores the humane investigator program to its pre-2003 status. In 2003, the law was amended to limit (i) the number of humane investigators to those currently serving and (ii) the number of programs to those currently in operation. The 2003 bill allowed those appointed prior to July 1, 2003, to be reappointed for three-year terms. This bill removes the limitations placed on the program by the 2003 law.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 3.1-796.106 of the Code of Virginia, relating to humane investigators.

072533828

S.B. 942

Patron: Ticer

Virginia Land Conservation Fund disbursements. Establishes a threshold that determines how the unrestricted funds in the Virginia Land Conservation Fund will be expended. If, by September, the new deposits in the Fund are less $10 million, 25% of the moneys in the Fund is allocated to the Open-Space Land Preservation Trust (OSLPTF) Fund and 75% is disbursed in the form of grants equally among the following four uses: natural area protection, open spaces and parks (including land for hunting, fishing or wildlife watching), farmlands and forest preservation, and historic area preservation. If the Fund contains $10 million or more, the OSLPTF receives 25 % of the moneys in the Fund and the remaining funds are awarded equally in the form of grants among five uses: natural area protection, open spaces and parks (including land for hunting, fishing or wildlife watching), farmland preservation, forestland conservation, and historic area preservation. Any OSLPTF funds not disbursed or committed to a project by the end of the fiscal year reverts to the Virginia Land Conservation Fund to be redistributed among the authorized uses.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 10.1-1020 of the Code of Virginia, relating to disbursement of moneys from the Virginia Land Conservation Fund.

072543118

S.B. 950

Patron: Quayle

Muzzle-loading rifle ordinances.  Removes the authority of localities to adopt ordinances that permit the use of muzzle-loading rifles during prescribed open seasons.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 29.1-528 of the Code of Virginia, relating to muzzle-loading rifle hunting ordinances.

079015800

S.B. 951

Patron: Quayle

Adoption of stray animals.  Allows a person living in any political subdivision of the Commonwealth to adopt a stray animal. Currently, only persons residing in the locality for which the pound is operated or in an adjacent locality can adopt from a pound.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 3.1-796.96 of the Code of Virginia, relating to the disposition of stray animals.

079016800

S.B. 1125

Patron: Cuccinelli

Donation of food to charity organizations.  Provides that the Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services, in conjunction with the Board of Health, shall promulgate regulations permitting any person to donate food prepared in his private residence to any political subdivision or to any charity organization, which is exempt from taxation under 26 U.S.C. § 501 (c) (3), for distribution to needy persons. The bill likewise provides that the Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services, in conjunction with the Board of Health, shall promulgate regulations permitting any political subdivision and any charity organization, which is exempt from taxation under 26 U.S.C. § 501 (c) (3), that is engaged in a food distribution program for needy persons to distribute any food properly donated to it. In addition, the bill prohibits a locality from enacting or enforcing any general law, special act, state regulation, or local ordinance or regulation that imposes conditions or requirements inconsistent with or more stringent than the regulations promulgated by the Board. This bill contains several emergency clauses.

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Article 1 of Chapter 20 of Title 3.1 a section numbered 3.1-364.1, relating to donation of food to charity organizations.

071629720

EMERGENCY