COMMODITIES AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HB766/SB128 (Landes/Stanley) creates the Governors Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development Fund.

This legislation will establish an economic development grant program targeted specifically at agricultural and forestry operations. Grants will be approved by an advisory committee to support localities efforts to attract value-added or processing facilities using Virginia-grown products. Farm Bureau supports the creation of the fund and provided comments as it was being created. The bills have both passed their respective houses with little opposition. HB292/SB 405 (Scott, E.T./Hanger) increases membership of board of directors and adds the Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry and the Secretary of Technology as voting members of the board of directors of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership Authority. Farm Bureau supports this legislation. It has passed the House and the Senate. HJ172 (Scott, E.T.) recommends a joint subcommittee to study the horse racing industry in the Commonwealth and report its findings by November 30, 2012. Farm Bureau supports this legislation. Due to budget constraints, the study was not recommended to move forward at this time. SJ114 (Vogel) commends the Virginia Wine Industry on the occasion of its 250th anniversary. Farm Bureau supports this legislation. It was passed by the Senate. HB998 (Ransone) exempts stores that are owned and operated by a farmer, that are located on the farmer's land, and that sell agricultural products from being inspected by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The legislation could potentially allow the sale of raw milk and uninspected meat directly to consumers threatening the food supply. Farm Bureau opposes the legislation and has worked with the patron to address our concerns. At the patrons request, the legislation was stricken from the docket in subcommittee. SB606 (Vogel) requires a label on any food derived in whole or in part from a geneticallyengineered organism if that organism can be detected in the food at a level two or more times the limit of detection of the most sensitive method commercially available for detecting that particular type of genetically-engineered organism; any food product prepared or processed using a genetically-engineered organism, enzyme, or other geneticallyengineered processing agent, whether or not the organism, enzyme, or agent is present in the final product; or any dairy or meat product derived from livestock that has been fed any material derived from a genetically-engineered organism or has been injected or treated with genetically-engineered hormones or drugs. Farm Bureau is opposed to this legislation. This bill was killed by the committee.