Bill would transfer alfalfa seed oversight to Department of Agriculture amid grower objections

The Senate Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation Committee heard testimony on House Bill 171, a measure to eliminate the governor‑appointed Alfalfa Seed Commission and move its regulatory and administrative duties to the Montana Department of Agriculture. Representative Eric Tillman, sponsor of the bill, told the committee the change would cut red tape and allow the department to provide ongoing oversight rather than relying on a board that meets infrequently.

The bill would add statutory definitions for the alfalfa seed industry, grant rulemaking authority to the Department of Agriculture, and require the department to hold public meetings tied to the alfalfa seed assessment. "If we move this over to the department, they can actually do this," Tillman said, adding that growers would retain a voice through the Montana Alfalfa Seed Growers Association.

Department officials and the governor’s office backed the change. Zach Coccoli, deputy director for the Department of Agriculture, told senators the industry has shrunk and the commission has been difficult to staff. He said the bill preserves quarantine and inspection elements as optional and keeps the assessment account protected while the department consults growers.

Ernest Johnson, an alfalfa seed grower from Chinook who has raised seed since 1981, opposed the bill. Johnson said members of the existing seed commission were surprised to learn the bill was moving and that the measure threatened due process and fiduciary safeguards. He stated the commission’s special‑revenue account holds about $168,000 from grower checkoff dollars and said he opposed transferring control without clearer protections and notice.

Senators pressed for details about how often the department would seek input. Kokoli said the amendment language negotiated with growers calls for a regular cadence of engagement and that the bill separately requires the department to hold at least one public meeting every two years for the alfalfa industry and to provide input on continuation of the assessment and preferred uses of funds.

Committee counsel confirmed the committee could amend the bill to create an alternate governance structure if members chose to do so. Representative Tillman said he had a conceptual amendment from the alfalfa growers’ association and encouraged the committee to adopt language that would narrow who the department consults and preserve grower input.

The hearing closed with the sponsor urging a do‑pass recommendation and offering to work further with growers and the department on amendment language. The committee did not vote on the bill during the hearing.