Legislative Call to Action!

CFA NEEDS YOU! COME TO FRANKFORT WEDNESDAY OR CALL YOUR LEGISLATORS TODAY!

HB 484 and HB495 will both be heard in the House Agriculture Committee Meeting this Wednesday February 20th at 8:00am in the Capitol Annex building here in Frankfort. If you would like to come and show your support by helping us fill the meeting room, please be at the CFA Office at 7:30am Wednesday morning!

If you can't make it to Frankfort on Wednesday, PLEASE CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVES TODAY!

HB 484 – Local Food for State Universities
Sponsor: Representative Dwight Butler
Primary Co Sponsor: Representative Charlie Hoffman

What Will House Bill 484 Do?
HB 484 amends KRS 164A.575 to require state funded universities to purchase agriculture products from local producers.

To view a copy of the bill, go to: www.lrc.ky.gov

Why is This Necessary?
This legislation partnered with HB 669 from the 2006 legislative session ensures that Kentucky institutions are supporting a local farm economy and secures yet another market venue for Kentucky's family farmers. Now, not only will patrons of Kentucky's state parks and institutions be eating locally grown, so will our state universities' faculty, staff, and students!

HB 495: No N.A.I.S. in Kentucky!
Sponsor: Representative Rick Rand
Primary Co Sponsor: Representative Johnny Bell

To view a copy of the bill, go to: www.lrc.ky.gov

What Will House Bill 495 Do?
· HB 495 prohibits the state of Kentucky from mandating the National Animal Identification System in the absence of a federal law requiring compliance with the USDA program. In the event that NAIS does become mandatory at the federal level, HB 495 ensures that Kentucky's compliance can be no more stringent than federal policies.
· HB 495 also prevents the state from penalizing any farmer or withholding goods, services, licenses, permits, grants or other benefits based on non-participation in any phase of the National Animal Identification System.
What House Bill 495 Does NOT Do:
· HB 495 does not prevent Kentucky from establishing or participating in disease control programs specifically designed to address a known disease in a specific species of livestock.
· HB 495 does not prohibit private agricultural industry organizations from establishing voluntary source verification programs for their own members or others who elect to participate.

Why is This Necessary?
Though NAIS is currently voluntary and expected to remain voluntary at the federal level, USDA is funding state departments of agriculture that agree to implement the program. Kentucky has recently been promoting the program and requiring participation in certain phases of the system to qualify for certain services. HB 495 will stop us from going any further. Until USDA can get the program mandated, Kentucky should back away from it also, for the sake of our family farmers. The program is intrusive, costly, and burdensome to the family farmer and tilts the scales heavily in favor of corporate agribusiness. HB 495 is the necessary step to stop N.A.I.S. in Kentucky!

What Can You Do? TAKE ACTION!

Contact your legislators today! Ask them to vote yes on HB 484 and HB495!

To find your legislator’s contact information, visit the LRC website at: www.lrc.ky.gov

Call the LRC message line to leave a message of support for your legislator: 1.800.372.7181

Urge your legislators to support Kentucky’s diversifying family farmers.