Meeting to consider SB 746, HB 156 and HB 157

Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee

Tuesday, June 6, 2023 | 10 a.m.

Room 461, Main Capitol


Schedule

To consider SB 746, HB 156 and HB 157

Agenda

SB 746 – Vogel – Amends Act 225 of 1982 known as the Dog Law. Allowing for modernization, improved customer service, enhanced public safety, and animal welfare protections.

HB 156 – Pashinski – Amends Title 3 (Agriculture) in Chapter 68 (fertilizer). Making technical corrections.

HB 157 – Pashinski – Authorizes development of a PA Preferred Organic® trademark by the Department of Agriculture

Meeting to consider SB 152, SB 277 and SB 694; and confirmation of Secretary Russell Redding of Department of Agriculture

Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee

Tuesday, May 9, 2023 | 12:30 p.m.

Room 461, Main Capitol Building


Agenda

SB 152 J. Ward – Repeals the Frozen Desert Law of 1965.

SB 277 Yaw – Amends the Rural Pennsylvania Revitalization Act of 1987 to restructure the board of directors for the Center for Rural Pennsylvania.

SB 649 Farry – Amends Title 3 (Agriculture) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in fireworks, further providing for definitions and for sales locations.

*Special Order of Business: Consideration of Secretary of Agriculture, Russell Redding

Public Hearing on future of the Over Order Premium on Class I Milk

Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee

Tuesday, April 25, 2023 | 10 a.m.

Hearing Room 1, NOB


Schedule

Public Hearing on future of the Over Order Premium on Class I Milk

Agenda

• 10:00 a.m.: Welcoming Remarks
                     – Committee Member Introductions

• 10:05 a.m.: Center for Dairy Excellence 
                     – Zach Meyers, Risk Education Program Manager – Testimony

• 10:25 a.m.: Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture
                     – Russell Redding, Acting-Secretary – Testimony

• 10:40 a.m.: Pennsylvania Milk Marketing Board – Testimony
                     – Gary G. Gojsovich, Auditor Supervisor
                     – Robert N. Barley, Chairman
                     – James Van Blarcom, Board Member
                     – Kristi Kassimer Harper, Consumer

• 10:55 a.m.: Pennsylvania State Grange
                     – Matt Espenshade, State Grange Master – Testimony

• 11:10 a.m.: Pennsylvania Farm Bureau
                     – John Painter II, Dairy Farmer, Painterland Farms – Testimony

• 11:25 a.m.: Pennsylvania Milk Dealers Association
                     – Chuck Turner, President of Turner Dairy Farms – Testimony

• 11:40 a.m.: Professional Dairy Managers of Pennsylvania
                     – Andy Bollinger, Vice President – Testimony

• 11:55 a.m.: Pennsylvania Association of Dairy Cooperatives
                     – Troye Cooper, Chairman – Testimony

• Closing Remarks

Additional Testimony

PA Food Merchants Association

Informational Meeting on Chesapeake Bay Issues


Senate Appropriations Committee, Senate Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee, and the Senate Environmental Resources & Energy Committee

Thursday, January 12, 2023 | 10:30 a.m.

Allegheny Room, Farm Show Complex

Informational Meeting on Enhancing Meat Processing Opportunities in PA

Joint Informational Meeting

Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee and House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee

Wednesday, August 10, 2022 | 10:00 a.m.

Red Barn Annex
Ag Progress Days, Pennsylvania Furnace, PA

Schedule

Informational Meeting on Enhancing Meat Processing Opportunities in PA

Agenda

10:00 a.m. – Opening Remarks by Committee Chairmen and Member Introductions

10:05 a.m. – Presentation: Enhancing Meat Processing Opportunities in Pennsylvania

Dr. Jonathan Campbell, Associate Professor of Animal Science and Statewide Meat Specialist
College of Agricultural Sciences
Penn State Butcher School

Daniel Brockett, Assistant State Program Leader for the Energy, Business, and Community Vitality Team
Penn State Extension

10:25 a.m. – Penn State 2021 Butcher School Apprentices:

Nick Oman
Parker Bell
Cash Sprankle

10:45 a.m.

Russell C. Redding, Secretary
Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture

11:05 a.m. – Questions

11:30 a.m. – Adjourn

Meeting to consider SB 1289

Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee

Wednesday, June 22, 2022 | 9:30 a.m.

Main Capitol, Room 461


AGENDA

Meeting to consider SB 1289

Schedule

SB 1289 P.N. 1785 (Vogel) – Amends Dog Law to provide for dog and kennel license fee updates and make changes to other provisions of the law.

  • Amendment A04915 (Vogel) – Removes incorrect language.

Senate Ag Committee to Consider Very Small Meat Processing Grant Program Update, Horse Racing Regulations Legislation

HARRISBURG – The Senate Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee will hold a voting meeting at 12:30 p.m., Tuesday, May 24, in Room 461, Main Capitol, to consider the following legislation:

  • Senate Bill 1236 (Sen. Vogel) – Amends Title 3 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes to make several updates to the Very Small Meat Processor Federal Inspection Reimbursement Grant Program.
  • Senate Bill 1237 (Sen. Vogel) – Amends Title 3 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes to extend the existing temporary horse racing regulations by three years and provide the Horse Racing Commission the authority to issue temporary regulations in compliance with forthcoming federal regulations.

The meeting will be streamed live on the committee website.

 

CONTACT: Cara Laudenslager     claudenslager@pasen.gov

Meeting to consider SB 1236 and SB 1237

Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee

May 24, 2022 | 12:30 p.m.

Main Capitol, Room 461


Agenda

Meeting to consider SB 1236 and SB 1237

Schedule

SB 1236 P.N. 1650 (Vogel)—Amends Title 3 of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes to make several updates to the Very Small Meat
Processor Federal Inspection Reimbursement Grant Program.

  • Amendment A04288 (Vogel)—Updates and clarifies definitions and
    provisions in the bill.

SB 1237 P.N. 1654 (Vogel)— Amends Title 3 of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes to extend the existing temporary horse racing
regulations by three years and provide the Horse Racing Commission the
authority to issue temp

ADVISORY – Wednesday, April 13 – Joint Public Hearing on Chronic Wasting Disease

A joint hearing about Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) will be held in the state Capitol on Wednesday, April 13 by the Senate’s Game and Fisheries and Agriculture and Rural Affairs committees, according to committee chairs Sen. Dan Laughlin, R-49, and Sen. Elder Vogel, R-47.

The hearing follows up a joint hearing held by the committees on Feb. 9 in Bedford, PA, during which the committee heard about the prevalence of CWD in Pennsylvania and what is being done to address this neurological disease that affects members of the cervid family (deer, elk, moose and reindeer/caribou).

Since first being detected in Pennsylvania deer roughly a decade ago, CWD has spread to all or part of 27 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties. The abnormal proteins that cause CWD are shed in saliva, urine, and feces, meaning animals can be infected via animal-to-animal contact or through contaminated environments. CWD-infected animals might not show symptoms of the disease for 18 to 24 months, but all white-tailed deer and elk that contract CWD die, there are no exceptions.

The April 13 hearing will focus on the science behind CWD and related research efforts to combat the disease, and feature testimony from Dr. Erick Gagne, Assistant Professor of Wildlife Disease Ecology, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine Wildlife Futures Program; Dr. Michelle Gibison, Manager of Research Projects, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine Wildlife Futures Program; Dr. Richard Roush, Dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences, Penn State University; Calvin Norman, Forestry and Wildlife Extension Educator, Penn State Extension; and Darell Rowledge, Director of the Alliance for Public Wildlife.

The Alliance for Public Wildlife is a group of scientists and professionals whose stated goal is establishing, developing, promoting, and defending principles and policies that will ensure the conservation of North American wildlife. The organization has produced documents (The Challenge of CWD: Insidious and Dire, as well as a supplement to that analysis) examining the science behind CWD, the history and process of its spread, and the public policy implications and recommendations for dealing with it.

WHAT: Joint public hearing of the Senate’s Agriculture and Rural Affairs and Game and Fisheries committees about Chronic Wasting Disease.

WHEN: 9 a.m. – 11 a.m., Wednesday, April 13

WHERE: Hearing Room 1, North Office Building, PA State Capitol

HEARING LIVESTREAM:  https://www.senatorlaughlin.com/2022/04/11/ag-game-041322/

 

CONTACTS:           Koty McGowan          kmcgowan@pasen.gov

                                   Cara Laudenslager      claudenslager@pasen.gov

                                   

 

                                   

 

 

Joint Public Hearing on Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD)

Joint Public Hearing of the

Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs and Game and Fisheries Committees

on Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD)

Wednesday, April 13, 2022 | 9:00 a.m.

Hearing Room 1, NOB

Agenda

Joint Public Hearing on Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD)

Schedule

9:00 a.m.

Opening Remarks

  • Senator Laughlin, Majority Chair, Game & Fisheries
  • Senator Vogel, Majority Chair, Agriculture & Rural Affairs
  • Senator Brewster, Minority Chair, Game & Fisheries
  • Senator Schwank, Minority Chair, Agriculture & Rural Affairs

9:10 a.m.

Dr. Erick Gagne, Assistant Professor of Wildlife Disease Ecology
University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine Wildlife Futures Program

Dr. Michelle Gibison, Manager of Research Projects
University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine Wildlife Futures Program

Testimony

9:40 a.m.

Dr. Richard Roush, Dean
College of Agricultural Sciences, Penn State University

Calvin Norman, Forestry and Wildlife Extension Educator
Penn State Extension

Testimony

10:10 a.m.

Darell Rowledge, Director – Testimony
Alliance for Public Wildlife

10:40 a.m.

Closing Remarks and Adjournment