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Committee approves change from audit to financial review for certain marketing boards
Summary
House Bill 346 (Department of Agriculture and Food amendments) was favorably recommended by the Senate Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Committee on Feb. 27. The amendment changes a statutory requirement for certain small marketing boards (tart cherry and apple) from an annual audit to a less-expensive financial review.
The Senate Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Committee on Feb. 27 unanimously recommended House Bill 346, a Department of Agriculture and Food amendment that would change a statutory requirement for small marketing boards (notably tart‑cherry and apple boards) from an annual audit to an annual financial review.
Sponsor testimony explained the change is aimed at small grower boards that issue only a handful of checks per year and pay limited amounts. Representative Welton described audits as “cumbersome and very expensive” for the small boards; testimony from Mark Rowley, chair of the Red Tart Cherry Marketing Board, said an audit can cost several thousand dollars while the boards’ annual transactions are modest. “This is definitely common sense,” Rowley told the committee.
Terry Camp of the Utah Farm Bureau said the change was a practical response to growers’ needs while maintaining oversight: “We still want financial reviews and want everything to be above board, but this was just a little onerous and unnecessary,” Camp said.
The committee adopted the Department of Agriculture and Food amendments and voted to favorably recommend the bill by voice vote; the motion passed unanimously. The bill now moves forward with a favorable committee recommendation.
