Committee advances cleanup bill for soybean assessment tied to federal checkoff

House Bill 304, presented by Representative Ryan Bivens, would clarify state language governing the soybean assessment and its relationship to the federal soybean checkoff. The committee voted to advance the measure with a favorable recommendation.

Bivens said Kentucky is currently under a federal checkoff; the federal checkoff rate he cited is one-half of 1 percent. He described the bill as “cleanup language” to ensure the state assessment functions properly if federal arrangements change. Jonathan Reynolds and Debbie Ellis from the Kentucky Soybean Association attended to represent producers.

Representative Tipton and other members praised the bill and noted the value of checkoff dollars for research and promotion programs including consumer marketing. Bivens told the committee that, if the federal checkoff no longer applied, the state checkoff provision would return to effect.

Representative Moore asked whether state producers support the change; Bivens said yes, and that the association board and directors back the bill. Representative Donworth observed that adjustments at the federal level will require periodic state-level responses, noting this bill is one such response.

The committee approved House Bill 304 and Chair Dossett said it “receives with favorable expression and should do so on the House floor.” The transcript does not show a specific fiscal note or statute citation in committee discussion, but members discussed that the checkoff is a producer assessment used for promotion and research rather than policy lobbying.

Votes: committee approved the bill by roll call; the transcript indicates a favorable expression to send the bill to the full House.