SCS/SB 301 - This act establishes the Prescribed Burning Act, which specifies that no landowner or agent of a landowner shall be liable for damages caused by a prescribed burning or the resulting smoke unless the landowner or agent is proven to be negligent. Additionally, unless proven to be negligent, no certified burn manager shall be liable for damages caused by a prescribed burning or the resulting smoke. This act shall not apply to any property, land, right-of-way, or easement owned by a public utility, municipally-owned utility, rural electric cooperative, corporation organized for the purpose of supplying electric energy, or electric corporations operating under a cooperative business plan. Additionally, this act shall not apply to any property, land, right-of-way, or easement appurtenant or incidental to lands controlled by any railroad.
This act is similar to HB 369 (2021), SCS/SB 661 (2020), HCS/HB 1547 (2020), and HB 978 (2019).
KATIE O'BRIEN
Statutes affected: Introduced (1194S.01):
537.354Committee (1194S.03):
537.354
Senate Committee Minutes: SENATE COMMITTEE MINUTES Bill No.: SB 301
Sponsor: Bernskoetter
Hearing Date: 2/8/2021
COMMITTEE: Agriculture, Food Production and Outdoor Resources
CHAIRMAN: Bernskoetter
DATE REFERRED: 2/4/2021 DATE HEARING REQUESTED:
STAFF:
Jamie Andrews
Heidi Kolkmeyer
Matt Morris
Penny Mueller
WITNESSES GIVING INFORMATION:
Eleni Bickell - MOST Policy Initiative
Craig Alderman - Quail & upland Wildlife Federation, Inc. MO
WITNESSES FOR:
Robin Verble - Missouri Prescribed Fire Council
Stephanie Michels - Self
Ray McCarty - Associated Industries of Missouri
Steven Brouillette - Business, employment, convention, and restoration benefits for Missouri
Mark Zurbrick - Private citizen
Michael Stambaugh - Michael Stambaugh
James Gardner - Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation
Zack Coy - Pure Air Land Management Company LLC
Holly Neill - The Nature Conservancy
Steve Jones - Myself
Joe Sheals - Joe Sheals, Legacy Forest Management, LLC
Kent Keene - Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation
Isaac Coy - Isaac Coy
Michael Berg - Sierra Club Missouri Chapter
Kenneth Buchmann - Kenneth H Buchmann
Gary VAN DE VELDE
Carol Davit - Missouri Prairie Foundation
Zach Morris - Myself
Jeff Hodges - Missouri Prescribed Fire Council
Scott Mikels - Missouri Prescribed Fire Council
Chuck Cavealy - Native Landscape Solutions
Tyler Schwartze - Conservation Federation of Missouri
Gary Gates - Missouri Parks and Rec Association
Aaron Jeffries - Missouri Department of Conservation
Zach Pollock - Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives
John Burk - National Wild Turkey Federation
Kyna Iman - The Nature Conservancy
WITNESSES AGAINST: