House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee approves bills

The House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, chaired by Rep. Martin Causer (R-Cameron/McKean/Potter), approved on Wednesday a series of bills aimed at helping farmers across Pennsylvania.

“We all want to see our farmers and producers continue to grow and thrive here,” Causer said. “The industry literally puts food on our tables, but it also contributes billions to our economy and supports more than a half million jobs across the state.”

Among the approved bills approved is House Bill 1516, introduced by Causer, which would create the Pennsylvania Rapid Response Disaster Readiness Account. Under the legislation, the General Assembly would allocate funding to the Department of Agriculture to enable quick responses to agricultural disasters.

“With recent and ongoing threats such as avian influenza and spotted lanternfly, it is important we are prepared and able to provide a rapid and well-coordinated response,” Causer said.

The committee also approved House Bill 1348, which was introduced by Rep. Barbara Gleim (R-Cumberland) and is designed to protect agritourism business from lawsuits when no party is at fault for injuries or damages.

House Bill 1518, introduced by Rep. Pam DeLissio (D-Philadelphia/Montgomery), would reestablish the Agriculture and Rural Youth Development Program into a new grant program to fund youth organizations which promote development in agriculture, community leadership, vocational training, and peer fellowship.

Other approved bills include House Bills 1514, 1517, 1519, 1520, 1521, 1523 and 1526.

The bills now head to the full House for consideration.