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Montana bill would eliminate state organic advisory council, keep certification services with agency
Summary
Rep. Eric Tillman told the Senate Agriculture and Livestock Committee that House Bill 269 would remove a governor‑appointed organic advisory council, arguing the Montana Organic Association and USDA oversight make the council redundant; the department says it will continue certification work and seek MOA input under amended language.
Representative Eric Tillman introduced House Bill 269 to the Senate Agriculture and Livestock Committee, saying the advisory council established in 2003 ‘‘has outlived the original purpose’’ and that Montana’s organic program has matured enough to operate without the board.
Department of Agriculture Ag Sciences Division Administrator Ian Foley told senators the state implements the federal USDA National Organic Program and issues USDA‑branded certificates. Foley said major federal changes in 2023 increased enforcement on imports and that the department can handle necessary changes ‘‘through the normal rulemaking process, without kind of directly consulting this governor‑appointed board.’’
Senators pressed the department on the advisory council’s role and capacity. Foley said the original council drafted a plan that the governor submitted to USDA and that once the program was approved the council’s role diminished. He said the council currently meets annually alongside the Montana Organic Association (MOA), and that recruitment has been difficult because the council has no money to award and does not set program rules. He reported the advisory council had about six members and that recent meetings sometimes lacked a quorum.
Foley described the state’s organic certification workload and staffing: the department certifies about 280 operations and supports the program with roughly ‘‘a program manager and 2 and a half dedicated FTE’’ who help producers with paperwork and in‑person support. He and the sponsor emphasized that staffing would not be cut if the council were eliminated.
Tillman said Montana is ‘‘third in the nation for acreage in organics with almost 320,000 certified acres, according to the USDA stats,’’ and that the bill is part of a red‑tape reduction effort. He and Foley said private certifiers also operate in some areas, but the state’s service remains valuable for rural producers.
The sponsor noted a House‑side amendment adding language requiring the department to ‘‘seek input from the Montana Organic Association, producers, handlers, processors and others in the community as the needs of the certification program require,’’ which Tillman said should ease concerns about removing the advisory council while preserving a formal avenue for industry input.
The hearing closed with no committee vote recorded in the transcript. The bill will await further committee action.
