Senate committee clears wide‑ranging Agriculture Department cleanup bill — fees, bee rules and weights/measures updates

The Senate Conservation Committee voted unanimously to give Senate Bill 214 a do‑pass recommendation. The bill updates and modernizes 11 acts administered by the New Mexico Department of Agriculture (NMDA), adjusting fee caps, clarifying definitions and consolidating several statutory provisions under the department’s chapter.

Nut graf: Supporters called SB 214 a necessary cleanup of aging statutes to reflect current practice, improve regulatory clarity and align state rules with federal requirements; committee members and stakeholders generally supported the bill but asked for clear cross‑referenced materials at future hearings to help review section‑by‑section changes.

What the bill does: SB 214 amends statutes covering the Plant Protection Act, nursery inspections, the Apiary (bee) Act, the Fertilizer Act, the Pecan Buyers Licensing Act, the Commercial Feed Act, the Egg Grading Act, weights and measures (including petroleum pump servicing), and related registration and bonding provisions. The bill: updates fee caps that have not been raised for decades; removes obsolete requirements (for example, repealing an 1898 county authority provision related to pests); clarifies commercial apiary registration and inspection to reflect agreements reached with beekeeper stakeholders; and consolidates a previously out‑of‑place pecan buyers provision into the NMDA chapter for easier access.

Support and testimony: Secretary Jeff Witte and NMDA staff described the package as mostly statutory cleanup with targeted updates to meet federal requirements (notably EPA pesticide applicator examination requirements) and to modernize inspection and reporting processes. Agricultural groups including the New Mexico Food and Agriculture Policy Council, Gavilan Solutions (representing large landowners), the New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau, the Institute of American Indian Arts (extension/pollinator specialist), and the New Mexico Pest Management Association voiced support during the hearing, citing administrative clarity and up‑to‑date fee structures.

Committee questions and notes: Senators asked about the department’s rulemaking under the Board of Regents (NMDA is administratively under New Mexico State University) and about the expanded penalty/administrative structure. NMDA staff said the board’s public process and engagement with stakeholders remain part of how rules are adopted. Committee members requested clearer, section‑by‑section crosswalk materials at future hearings to help members and the public follow detailed statutory changes.

Vote and immediate effect: The committee adopted an amendment agreed with beekeepers concerning commercial apiaries and then voted unanimously to pass SB 214 as amended. The measure will proceed through the Legislature for further consideration.