Act No. 47 Page 1 of 2
2021
This act summary is provided for the convenience of the public and members of the General
Assembly. It is intended to provide a general summary of the act and may not be
exhaustive. It has been prepared by the staff of the Office of Legislative Counsel without
input from members of the General Assembly. It is not intended to aid in the interpretation
of legislation or to serve as a source of legislative intent.
Act No. 47 (H.420). Agriculture; weights and measures; livestock; water quality;
hemp
An act relating to miscellaneous agricultural subjects
This act amends multiple miscellaneous agricultural statutes. The act repeals
the sunset of the on-farm slaughter authority and increases the number of animals
that may be slaughtered annually under on-farm slaughter authority. The act
clarifies that livestock dealers include online or remote transactions, but a person
buying animals for a farming operation is not a livestock dealer required to
register with the Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets (AAFM). The act,
however, authorizes AAFM to require a person to obtain a livestock dealer license
if AAFM determines the person is trying to circumvent license requirements.
The act renames the Large Animal Veterinarian Loan Repayment Program as
the Food Animal Veterinarian Education Loan Repayment Program for
consistency with a similar U.S. Department of Agriculture program. The act also
amends eligibility for the program by requiring recipients to be significantly
dedicated to treating food animals. The Secretary of Agriculture, Food and
Markets is granted authority to determine what constitutes significant dedication.
The act amends the definition of “commercial weighing and measuring device”
to clarify what weights or scales must register with AAFM. The definition of
commercial weighing device does not include a device in a business used
internally to determine weight, measure, or count of a commodity or thing while
manufacturing, processing, or preparing the commodity or thing for market. The
definition of “commercial weighing and measuring device” also does not include
a pharmacy device used to determine appropriate dosage of medication or medical
treatment or a U.S. Postal Service scale.
The act extends to February 1, 2023, the authorized operation of the Payment
for Ecosystem Services and Soil Health Working Group. The act also requires
custom applicators to be certified to apply manure or agricultural waste, instead of
the current certification for application of manure or nutrients. The act clarifies
that information that AAFM collects in databases is public, but identifying
information of farms or businesses shall be redacted or removed prior to public
distribution.
VT LEG #356872 v.2
Act No. 47 Page 2 of 2
2021
The act authorizes operation of the State Hemp Program under the 2014
federal Farm Bill pilot program until January 1, 2022. The act also directs AAFM
to update the Agriculture Annex to the State Emergency Management Plan to
improve State capacity to maintain food supply during emergency or other food
insecurity.
Multiple effective dates, beginning on June 1, 2020
VT LEG #356872 v.2


Statutes affected:
As Introduced: 6-761, 6-762, 6-20, 9-2651(2), 9-2651, 6-215, 6-4817, 6-61, 6-34
As Passed By the House -- Official: 6-761, 6-762, 6-20, 9-2651(2), 9-2651, 6-215, 6-4817, 6-61, 6-34
As Passed By the House -- Unofficial: 6-761, 6-762, 6-20, 9-2651(2), 9-2651, 6-215, 6-4817, 6-61, 6-34
As Passed by Both House and Senate -- Official: 6-3311a(c), 6-3311a, 6-761, 6-762, 6-20, 9-2651(2), 9-2651, 6-215, 6-4817, 6-61, 6-34
As Passed by Both House and Senate -- Unofficial: 6-3311a(c), 6-3311a, 6-761, 6-762, 6-20, 9-2651(2), 9-2651, 6-215, 6-4817, 6-61, 6-34
As Enacted: 6-3311a(c), 6-3311a, 6-761, 6-762, 6-20, 9-2651(2), 9-2651, 6-215, 6-4817, 6-61, 6-34