Committee approves transfer of Farm Management Education program to Agriculture Department with $1.9M appropriation

The House Appropriations Committee advanced Senate Bill 22‑74, which transfers authority and administration of the Farm Management Education program from the Department of Career and Technical Education (CTE) to the Department of Agriculture and funds the program at $1.9 million for the upcoming biennium.

Representative Mike Belz presented the bill, describing the program’s mission to provide individualized farm business education and noting that instructors are typically housed at community colleges. "The farm management education program is a mission to provide education to owners and operators or persons interested in farming," Belz told the committee.

Supporters at the hearing said the move would streamline administration, strengthen program alignment with ag‑related mediation services, and improve statewide delivery. The committee record shows the panel considered the appropriation amount to account for inflation and advertising costs; the bill increases the appropriation by $200,000 from the prior level.

Representative Richter moved for a due pass; members debated briefly about budgeting practice and where the line item will reside going forward. A roll call approved a due pass motion on Senate Bill 22‑74; the clerk recorded the committee vote as "motion passes 22 0 and 2 absent."

The bill removes the program appropriation from CTE’s budget and places it with the Agriculture Department; the committee noted that current instructors remain located primarily at community colleges and that the program continues to serve participants statewide.

Representative K. Anderson was named bill carrier in committee paperwork.