Delaware Senate Bill 260 (Prior Session Legislation)

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Completed Legislative Action
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 5-3)
Status: Passed on August 1 2016 - 100% progression
Action: 2016-08-01 - Signed by Governor
Text: Latest bill text (Draft #1) [HTML]

The Agricultural Lands Preservation Act currently allows for various agritourisum activities and other uses of farm lands in the Preservation Program which do not unduly interfere with ongoing agricultural use of the properties. These allowances provide the opportunity for participants in the Preservation Program to generate additional income from activities which are currently available to farm owners who have chosen not to participate in the Preservation Program. This legislation enhances with controls the income opportunities for those participating in the Preservation Program. This Bill transfers the allowance of barn parties to new paragraph k under which certain controls are imposed. This Bill allows existing farm structures no longer used in farming operations to be converted to allow for various types of gatherings subject to enumerated limitations. Beneficial use of the agricultural lands is protected and the Foundation Board must review and approve applications for use of the existing farm structures. This Bill allows for annual and semi-annual events to be held on farmland in the Preservation Program during the growing season for agricultural commodities and agricultural enterprises and other annual and semi-annual events during the non-primary growing season when crops are not in the fields. The Foundation Board must approve any such events on a case by case basis. This legislation applies to the 34% of the remaining farmlands in Delaware which have been enrolled in the Foundation’s Agricultural Lands Preservation Program in the last 20 years.

An Act To Amend Title 3 Of The Delaware Code Relating To Activities On Properties Enrolled In The Agricultural Lands Preservation Program

Sen. Gary Simpson [R]	Sen. Bruce Ennis [D]	Rep. William Carson [D]	Sen. Ernesto Lopez [R]
Rep. Peter Schwartzkopf [D]	Rep. Harvey Kenton [R]	Sen. David Wilson [R]	Rep. Stephen Smyk [R]

2016-06-30 - House - House Third Reading (Y: 39 N: 0 NV: 0 Abs: 2) [PASS]

Date	Chamber	Action
2016-08-01	Senate	Signed by Governor
2016-06-30	House	Passed by House of Representatives. Votes: Passed 39 YES 0 NO 0 NOT VOTING 2 ABSENT 0 VACANT
2016-06-16	House	Reported Out of Committee (AGRICULTURE) in House with 6 Favorable, 1 On Its Merits
2016-06-02	House	Introduced and Assigned to Agriculture Committee in House
2016-05-19	Senate	Passed by Senate. Votes: Passed 19 YES 0 NO 0 NOT VOTING 2 ABSENT 0 VACANT
2016-05-18	Senate	Reported Out of Committee (AGRICULTURE) in Senate with 4 On Its Merits
2016-05-12	Senate	Assigned to Agriculture Committee in Senate

Type	Source
Summary	http://legis.delaware.gov/LIS/lis148.nsf/2bede841c6272c888025698400433a04/d8e9813ac0789a0685257fa90058ddb0?OpenDocument
Text	http://legis.delaware.gov/LIS/lis148.nsf/vwLegislation/SB+260/$file/legis.html?open
Roll Call	http://legis.delaware.gov/LIS/lis148.nsf/7712cf7cc0e9227a852568470077336f/2c407efbacfb7c2585257fe30004886f?OpenDocument