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HOUSE BILL NO. 354
IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA
THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE - SECOND SESSION
BY REPRESENTATIVE TARR
Introduced: 2/22/22
Referred: Resources, Finance
A BILL
FOR AN ACT ENTITLED
1 "An Act relating to a program of state inspection for certain meat processing facilities;
2 establishing temporary grant programs for certain meat processing facilities and for
3 farm development and improvement; and providing for an effective date."
4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:
5 * Section 1. AS 17.20.005 is amended to read:
6 Sec. 17.20.005. Powers and duties of commissioner. To carry out the
7 requirements of this chapter, the commissioner may issue orders, regulations, permits,
8 quarantines, and embargoes relating to
9 (1) food offered to the public or sold, subject to AS 17.20.017,
10 including
11 (A) inspection of meat, fish, poultry, and other food products;
12 (B) standards of sanitation and handling methods for all phases
13 of slaughtering, processing, storing, transporting, displaying, and selling;
14 (C) labeling; and
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1 (D) the training, testing, and certification requirements for
2 individuals who handle or prepare food, their supervisors, and their employers
3 to ensure their knowledge of food safety and sanitation principles and
4 requirements;
5 (2) control and eradication of pests;
6 (3) enforcement of hazard analysis critical control point programs for
7 seafood processing that are developed in cooperation with appropriate industry
8 representatives or, to the extent not inconsistent with this chapter or regulations
9 adopted under the authority of this chapter, that are established by regulations of the
10 United States Food and Drug Administration as they may periodically be revised;
11 (4) labeling, subject to AS 17.20.013, and grading of milk and milk
12 products and standards of sanitation for dairies offering to the public or selling milk or
13 milk products to at least the minimum of current recommendations of the United
14 States Public Health Service pasteurized milk ordinance as it may periodically be
15 revised;
16 (5) standards and conditions for the operation and siting of aquatic
17 farms and related hatcheries, including
18 (A) restrictions on the use of chemicals; and
19 (B) requirements to protect the public from contaminated
20 aquatic farm products that pose a risk to health;
21 (6) monitoring aquatic farms and aquatic farm products to ensure
22 compliance with this chapter and, to the extent not inconsistent with this chapter or
23 regulations adopted under the authority of this chapter, with the requirements of the
24 national shellfish sanitation program manual of operations published by the United
25 States Food and Drug Administration as it may periodically be revised;
26 (7) tests and analyses that may be made and hearings that may be held
27 to determine whether the commissioner will issue a stop order or quarantine;
28 (8) transportation of, use of, disposal of, recalls of, or warnings
29 concerning quarantined or embargoed items;
30 (9) cooperation with federal and other state agencies.
31 * Sec. 2. AS 17.20 is amended by adding a new section to read:
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1 Sec. 17.20.017. Inspection of processed meat products. (a) The department
2 may adopt regulations to establish a program of state inspection for the processing and
3 sale of meat products, including meat products from amenable species.
4 (b) The department may administer and enforce regulations adopted under (a)
5 of this section for a program of state inspection for the processing and sale of meat
6 products from amenable species only if the program is approved by the federal
7 government.
8 (c) Regulations adopted by the department under this section must impose
9 requirements that are not less stringent than the requirements imposed under 21 U.S.C.
10 601 - 695 (Federal Meat Inspection Act) and 7 U.S.C. 1901 - 1907 (Humane Methods
11 of Slaughter Act).
12 (d) Subject to (b) of this section, and except as provided in (e) of this section,
13 if the department adopts regulations to establish a program of state inspection for the
14 processing and sale of meat products, the department shall
15 (1) license facilities that process meat products for sale to the public;
16 (2) adopt license requirements and fees for facilities that process meat
17 products for sale to the public; and
18 (3) use officers and employees of the department to inspect facilities
19 that are licensed under this subsection.
20 (e) The department may not establish, administer, or enforce a program of
21 inspection under this section for facilities that process meat products from equines.
22 (f) In this section,
23 (1) "amenable species" has the meaning given in 21 U.S.C. 601(w);
24 (2) "equine" means a member of the family Equidae.
25 * Sec. 3. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to
26 read:
27 TEMPORARY GRANT PROGRAM FOR MEAT PROCESSING FACILITIES. (a)
28 The Department of Environmental Conservation shall establish a grant program by regulation
29 for the purpose of funding
30 (1) upgrades to a facility that is expected to operate under a program of state
31 inspection authorized under AS 17.20.017, added by sec. 2 of this Act;
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1 (2) construction of a new facility that is expected to operate under a program
2 of state inspection authorized under AS 17.20.017, added by sec. 2 of this Act; and
3 (3) expansion of a facility that operates under a program of federal inspection
4 that plans to increase processing of meat from animals raised in the state.
5 (b) In administering the grant program established under (a) of this section, the
6 Department of Environmental Conservation
7 (1) shall develop criteria for awarding a grant and a process for applying for a
8 grant that includes requiring
9 (A) a grant applicant to submit a business plan; and
10 (B) the department to approve an applicant's business plan before
11 awarding a grant;
12 (2) shall award grants preferentially to support facilities that prioritize
13 seasonally feasible processing of meat from animals raised in the state; and
14 (3) may require a recipient of a grant to report to the department on the use of
15 grant funds.
16 (c) A recipient of a grant made under this section may use grant funds for costs
17 related to activities described in (a) of this section, including costs of technical assistance and
18 the purchase of equipment.
19 * Sec. 4. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to
20 read:
21 TEMPORARY GRANT PROGRAM FOR FARM DEVELOPMENT AND
22 IMPROVEMENT. (a) The division of the Department of Natural Resources with
23 responsibility for agriculture shall establish a grant program by regulation for the purpose of
24 funding investments in agriculture to build resiliency in the state's food supply.
25 (b) In administering the grant program established under (a) of this section, the
26 Department of Natural Resources
27 (1) shall develop criteria for awarding a grant and a process for applying for a
28 grant that includes requiring
29 (A) a grant applicant to submit a business plan; and
30 (B) the department to approve an applicant's business plan before
31 awarding a grant;
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1 (2) may
2 (A) make grants of up to $15,000 each year to an applicant for a
3 maximum period of three years for eligible farm development and improvement
4 expenses approved by the department;
5 (B) require a recipient of a grant to report to the department on the use
6 of grant funds.
7 (c) Eligible expenses under (b)(2)(A) of this section include expenses relating to
8 (1) clearing of land for agricultural purposes; and
9 (2) the purchase, building, installation, maintenance, or improvement of
10 (A) irrigation, drainage, and other water management systems;
11 (B) fencing, trellising, barns, greenhouses, or other farm buildings or
12 structures;
13 (C) agricultural processing and farm equipment, including milking and
14 pasteurization equipment;
15 (D) livestock, feed, seeds, fertilizer, and seasonal extension equipment;
16 and
17 (E) bees and beekeeping equipment.
18 * Sec. 5. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to
19 read:
20 TRANSITION: REGULATIONS. The Department of Environmental Conservation
21 and the Department of Natural Resources shall adopt regulations necessary to implement this
22 Act. The regulations take effect under AS 44.62 (Administrative Procedure Act), but not
23 before the effective date of the law implemented by the regulation.
24 * Sec. 6. Sections 3 and 4 of this Act are repealed June 30, 2025.
25 * Sec. 7. Section 5 of this Act takes effect immediately under AS 01.10.070(c).
26 * Sec. 8. Except as provided in sec. 7 of this Act, this Act takes effect January 1, 2023.
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Statutes affected: HB0354A, AM HB 354, introduced 02/22/2022: 17.20.005, 17.20.017, 17.20.013