CCS#2/HCS/SCS/SB 356 - This act modifies provisions pertaining to agriculture. SECTION 21.801 - JOINT COMMITTEE ON URBAN AGRICULTURE This act changes the name of the Joint Committee on Urban Farming to the "Joint Committee on Urban Agriculture" and extends the date, from December 31, 2010 to December 31, 2012, by which the committee's final report must be submitted. Under current law, this section expired on January 1, 2011 but the act extends the expiration date until January 1, 2013. SECTION 143.1014 - PUPPY PROTECTION TRUST FUND The act allows individuals and corporations to donate a minimum of $1, or $2 for a combined return, of any tax refund owed to them by the state of Missouri for the purpose of making a donation to the Puppy Protection Trust Fund. The act creates the trust fund and designates all monies in the fund to be used by the Department of Agriculture for the administration of the Canine Cruelty Prevention Act. All interest accrued remains in the fund and the fund is exempt from the biennial sweep. The provisions of the act sunset after 6 years, unless reauthorized for another 6 years by the General Assembly. This section is similar to HB 746 (2011). SECTIONS 144.010 TO 144.070 - SALES TAX EXEMPTIONS This act creates state and local sales and use tax exemptions for sales of captive wildlife. The act also: adds freight charges to the sales and use tax exemptions for agricultural-related items; includes "accessories" for farm machinery and equipment in the definition of "farm machinery and equipment"; and provides a sales and use tax exemption for rotary mowers that are used exclusively for agricultural purposes. The act also repeals two incorrect intersectional references contained in Chapter 144. These sections are similar to TAT/CCS/SS/HB 458 (2011), SB 241 (2011) and HB 346 (2011). SECTION 262.815 - MISSOURI FARMLAND TRUST ACT The act creates the Missouri Farmland Trust. The Department of Agriculture is authorized to accept or acquire farmland in the state for the purpose of leasing the land to beginning farmers. The act creates the Missouri Farmland Trust Advisory Board, which is made up of 5 persons appointed by the director of the Department of Agriculture. The board will provide recommendations to the Department of Agriculture on the farmland trust program, including applicants for land to be placed within the trust program and applicants to lease the farmland. The Department of Agriculture shall administer a fund called the Missouri Farmland Trust Fund, created by the act. Monies from the fund may be used to make payments to counties in lieu of property taxes and to improve or maintain the land in the farmland trust. Persons who donate land to the trust or who lease land from the trust must release the state and its employees from liability for injury, death or property damage that may result from participation in the program. This section is identical to the same section in TAT/CCS/SS/HB 458 (2011). SECTIONS 263.190 - 263.240 - NOXIOUS WEEDS Under current law, all landowners are required to control the growth and spread of the plants musk thistle, scotch thistle, and canada thistle. Additionally under current law, where a landowner does not control the thistle, the county commission has a duty to enter upon the property in order to control the thistle. This act expands these requirements to apply not only to the thistles, but to all plants that are designated by rule as a "noxious weed" by the Department of Agriculture. The act requires the department to maintain a list of all noxious weeds and make the list available to the public. The act prohibits the sale of noxious weeds. The act repeals the provisions of law that apply specifically to the following plants: multiflora rose, field bindweed, cut-leaved teasel, common teasel, kudzu, spotted knapweed, purple loosestrife, and johnson grass. These sections are similar to TAT/CCS/SS/HB 458 (2011), SB 336 (2011) and HB 653 (2011). SECTION 268.121 - LIVESTOCK BRAND BOOK Under current law, the Department of Agriculture must publish a book of all livestock brands on record and must send copies of the book to all county recorders of deeds, livestock markets, and slaughter plants. This act removes the requirement that the Department must publish the list of brands in book form, and instead requires the Department to make the list available to the public on the Internet. The act also removes the requirement that the Department send a book to the counties, livestock markets, and slaughter plants. This section is identical to TAT/CCS/SS/HB 458 (2011) and SB 337 (2011). SECTION 275.360 - COMMODITY MERCHANDISING FEES FOR RICE Current law allows agricultural producers or growers to request a refund of his or her commodity merchandising fees from the director of the Department of Agriculture. The act exempts rice producers and growers from this provision. SECTIONS 276.401 TO 276.441 - GRAIN DEALERS Under current law, a farmer who purchases less than $100,000 worth of grain for his or her own farming purposes is not considered a grain dealer. The act modifies the threshold to 50,000 bushels of grain instead of $100,000 worth of grain. The act requires that all licensed grain dealers or applicants for a grain dealer license must maintain a minimum net worth of 5% of the total amount of grain purchased in the previous fiscal year. Additionally, all licensed grain dealers and applicants must maintain current assets at least equal to current liabilities and the act specifies certain requirements related to the determination of assets and liabilities. The act raises the minimum surety bond requirement for licensed grain dealers from $20,000 to $50,000 and raises the maximum from $300,000 to $600,000. The act modifies the formula for determining the amount of surety bond required by specifying that the amount shall be equal to 2% of the dealer's previous year's grain purchases, instead of within a range of between 1% and 5% of such purchases. The act repeals the section of law that allows a grain dealer who has purchased less than $400,000 of grain the previous year to satisfy the bond requirement by filing bonds at the rate of $1,000 per $20,000 worth of grain purchased. These sections are similar to TAT/CCS/SS/HB 458 (2011). SECTION 411.280 - GRAIN WAREHOUSES Under current law, the owner of a licensed grain warehouse must maintain a net worth equal to 15 cents per bushel of storage capacity. The act increases the multiplication factor from 15 cents to 25 cents. This section is identical to TAT/CCS/SS/HB 458 (2011). The act contains an emergency clause for the Joint Committee on Urban Agriculture (section 21.801). ERIKA JAQUES