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Senate quad committee defers statewide agritourism bill after hours of testimony
Summary
Lawmakers deferred HB 966, HD2 after hours of testimony and questioning over definitions, enforcement and impacts on production agriculture; chairs called for a House–Senate working group with DOA, DLNR and industry to develop agreed standards.
After more than an hour of testimony and extended questioning on March 19, 2025 in Room 229, the Senate Committee on Water and Land and the Committee on Agriculture and Environment announced they would defer House Bill 966, House Draft 2, indefinitely and convene a working group to rewrite the measure.
The bill would have established statewide, uniform standards for agricultural tourism, required counties to register agritourism activities with planning departments, required agritourism to coexist with an agricultural activity on the same farming operation, and called for termination of agritourism activities upon cessation of the underlying agricultural activity except in limited circumstances.
Proponents told the committee agritourism can help farms remain solvent while supporting conservation and educational programs. Taylor Kellerman, director of diversified agriculture and land stewardship for Kulo Ranch, said agritourism funds food production and conservation work at his operation:…
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