This bill amends the Local Public Contracts Law to exempt lease renewals for farmland from public bidding requirements under specific conditions. It stipulates that if a contracting unit has condemned and taken farmland, it can continue to lease that land to a tenant farmer who has farmed it for at least 10 consecutive years without the need for public advertising and bidding. This provision aims to facilitate the ongoing agricultural use of the land and support tenant farmers who have established a long-term farming relationship with the land.

The bill introduces new legal language that specifies the conditions under which this exemption applies, particularly emphasizing the tenant farmer's prior farming history on the land. The amendment adds a new clause to the existing law, allowing for the renewal of leases or offering of new leases to tenant farmers under these circumstances, thereby streamlining the process for local contracting units while ensuring that experienced farmers can continue their agricultural practices without interruption.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 40A:11-5