2023立法报告第五周

公共政策部

第五周立法报告

February 10, 2023

IN THIS ISSUE:

In this Issue:

接近中途点
众议院司法委员会举行会议
众议院交通委员会召开会议
Clean Day Event
Action This Week
Bills of Interest
美国农业部灾害援助
灭鼠行动警报
GFB Day at The Capitol

接近中途点

This week the halls of the Capitol were crowded and busy as groups from all over the state representing many different industries traveled to Atlanta. 乔治亚州林业协会, 乔治亚州青年农民协会, and Georgia 4-H all hosted their members at the capitol as they advocated for the state's agriculture industry.

We are nearing the halfway point of the legislative session with the General Assembly meeting for 4 days and wrapping up the week on Thursday with legislative day 16. Legislation that impacts Georgia agriculture has been moving through various committees, and we expect to see votes on the House and Senate floors as we get closer to crossover day. All legislation must pass through the chamber in which it originated by crossover day to have a chance at final passage this year.

The General Assembly will return to Atlanta to resume legislative work on Monday, February 13, for legislative day 17. 随着立法会议的继续, Georgia Farm Bureau will continue to be present every day at the capitol to represent our members.

众议院农业委员会召开会议

The House Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee met this week on Wednesday, February 8, 涉及几项立法. HB 33 by Rep. Beth Camp (R-Concord), which seeks to establish the State Board of Veterinary Medicine as an independent agency attached to the Department of Agriculture for administrative purposes, passed out of committee with a favorable vote. It now must be taken up by the Rules Committee to go to the House Floor for a full vote. Currently the State Vet Board is housed with the Secretary of State's licensing division. GFB has been engaged on this issue with legislators and interested parties, and will continue to monitor the legislation as it moves forward in the legislative process.

Additionally, the committee voted on and passed HB 132 by Rep. 大卫·詹金斯(R-Grantville). This bill would allow for the use of ungraded lumber in the construction or repair of any accessory structure not containing habitable space on property zoned or primarily used for residential or agricultural purposes. We appreciate Rep. Jenkins for bringing this bill as it will directly benefit GFB members who utilize these types of materials for ancillary structures on their farm. We expect to see a full House vote on this legislation and will continue to advocate for its passage.

House Transportation Hears Truck Weights Bill

On Thursday, February 9, the House Transportation Committee heard over five and a half hours of testimony regarding HB 189, sponsored by Rep. 史蒂文·米克斯(r - screen), that seeks to increase allowable haul weights, including trucks hauling agricultural commodities. GFB作证支持该法案, citing the need for Georgia to be on an even playing field with our neighboring states and the benefit hauling more product per trip would have on farmers' bottom line. GFB emphasized the importance of a variance that accommodates for the unpredictable nature of hauling commodities when factoring in moisture content or the fluctuating live weight of livestock. Georgia Farm Bureau has joined a large group of allied organizations and other industries as a part of the Georgia Economic Competitiveness Coalition, which seeks to highlight the increase of haul weights as an important economic issue. The bill passed committee with a Y:18 to N:11 vote and will now need to be passed out of the Rules Committee for a full vote by the House.

除害剂清洁日活动

The Georgia Department of Agriculture has scheduled a 除害剂清洁日活动 for March 29, 2023, 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM at Tri County Gin in Coffee County. Clean Day is a program that gives everyone an opportunity to discard old, unusable, or cancelled pesticides to a hazardous waste contractor for disposal. Participation in the Clean Day Program remains free of charge to all private and commercial applicators with the understanding that the event is designed and intended for farmers, lawn care, golf courses, 虫害防治公司.

The Georgia Department of Agriculture will be requiring pre-registration for the events. For more information about the event please contact your local extension agent or click the button below.

Click Here

Disaster and Pandemic Assistance Programs

Starting Jan 23, agricultural producers can begin to apply for two new important programs for revenue losses, from 2020 and 2021 natural disasters or the COVID-19 pandemic. Both programs equitably fill gaps in earlier assistance.

First, you may be eligible for assistance through the 紧急救援计划 (ERP) Phase Two if you experienced revenue losses from eligible natural disasters in 2020 and 2021. ERP Phase Two is for producers who didn't receive assistance from ERP Phase One.

您可能也有资格获得大流行病援助收入计划 (PARP) if you experienced revenue losses in calendar year 2020. PARP is addressing gaps in previous pandemic assistance, which was targeted at price loss or lack of market access, 而不是整体收入损失.

Applications for both new programs are due June 2, 2023, and you can apply for both programs during your same appointment with USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA).

Historically, FSA programs have been designed to make direct payments to producers based on a single disaster event or for a single commodity loss. For many of you, this may be the first revenue-based program that you've applied for with FSA. Please click the button below for more information.

Click Here

灭鼠行动警报

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is currently accepting comments regarding their proposed interim registration review decisions for several rodenticides. 包括在决定中, EPA would classify nearly all anticoagulant rodenticides as Restricted Use Products (RUPs) and require certification for their use. This could decrease the availability of these products with current retailers as well as add additional cost, time, 为格鲁吉亚的农民提供人力. We urge you to click the "Take Action" link below to submit comments to EPA and let them know continued access to rodenticides are important for your operation. Feel free to personalize the message to let EPA know the economic and safety impacts these products provide for you. The deadline to provide feedback is February 13, 2023.

Click Here

Action This Week

HB 33:
Reps. Camp, Mathiak, Lim, Au和Cameron
This bill would establish the State Board of Veterinary Medicine as an independent agency attached to the Department of Agriculture for administrative purposes. The State Board of Veterinary Medicine serves as the licensing board for veterinarians in the state of Georgia. Currently, this board is administratively attached to the Secretary of State and is under the professional licensing boards division. The legislation would create an executive director position for the board and give them the authority to hire outside investigators to inspect veterinary clinic premises, equipment, and mobile clinics.
众议院农业 & 消费者事务委员会2023年8月2日

HB 73:
Reps. Gullett, Parsons, Thomas, Anderson, Meeks, and others
This bill deals with ensuring transparency between buyers and sellers of distributed energy generation systems, 包括太阳能采购, and provides access to educational information surrounding contracts and agreements for such systems. It specifically looks to address deceptive business practices seen throughout the state by certain companies selling rooftop solar systems.
Passed out of Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications Committee on 2/8/2023

HB 132:
Reps. Jenkins, Pirkle, Knight, Huddleston, and Camp
This bill authorizes the use of ungraded lumber in the construction or repair of any accessory structure not primarily used as habitable space.
众议院农业 & 消费者事务委员会会议

HB 189:
Reps. Meeks, Burchett, Corbett, Frye, Dickey, and others
This bill would increase the current total gross vehicle weight (GVW) allowed for various trucks and haulers to include a 12.5% variance, allowing for 5-axle trucks to haul up to 90,000lbs. It is important to note that over the past two years we have been operating under various executive orders by Governor Brian Kemp that allowed for trucks to haul up to 95,000lbs (GVW) in an effort to combat supply chain issues stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic and other global market disruptions. Currently, there is a 5% variance allowed for trucks hauling agricultural commodities and other specified goods within 100 miles of the farm. This bill would expand that to all cargo across all industries and increase the weight limit to a total GVW of 90,000lbs.
Passed House Transportation Committee 2/9/2023

HB 246:
Reps. Momtahan, Parsons, Dickey, Tarvin, Pirkle, and others
This bill would prohibit the foreign ownership of certain types of land or properties, 包括农场和农业用地, by Chinese, Russian, Iranian, 或朝鲜政府, citizens, or companies. It would both prohibit direct ownership but also ownership through majority stock or other specified intertest.
Assigned to House Judiciary Committee 2/7/2023

HB 251:
Reps. Schofield, Drenner, Kennard, Evans and Hutchinson
This bill would require the Public Service Commission to adopt regulations to gradually reduce the carbon dioxide emissions from every electric utility in Georgia, 无论燃料类型如何. It would require that by 2050 all electricity provided by an electric utility in Georgia be generated from energy sources that produce zero greenhouse gasses.
分配到房屋能源，公用事业 & 电讯委员会2023年7月2日

HB 262:
Reps. Lewis-Ward, Beverly, Jackson, and Gilliard
This bill would establish the Office of Equity in Agriculture to support current members of socially disadvantaged groups and to encourage the growth of socially disadvantaged groups into the field of agriculture.
分配到家庭农业 and Consumer Affairs Committee on 2/7/2023

HB 287:
Reps. 托马斯，斯科菲尔德和马林
This bill would establish the ability to set up and operate a Microenterprise home kitchen. This would be a noncommercial kitchen facility located in a private home or on a farm where ready-to-eat food is handled, stored, prepared, or offered for sale for consumption off the premises. The kitchen must meet the criteria to be a microenterprise as established by the Department of Economic Development. This bill would exclude food sales establishments, any food production which requires a license by the Dept. 农业，以及更多.
分配到家庭农业 and Consumer Affairs Committee on 2/08/2023

HB 300:
Reps. Smith, Kelley, Williamson, Stephens, and Blackmon
This legislation would establish the Solar Technology Trust Fund and impose a fee of $15 per kilowatt of capacity on retail sales of solar equipment in Georgia. The fees collected would be used by the trust fund for remediation, decommissioning, 以及太阳能设备的处理, such as solar panels.
分配到房屋能源，公用事业 & 电信委员会2023年9月2日

HB 305:
Reps. Dickey, Houston, Gilliard, and Carpenter
Over the past few years there has been discussion over how to address issues with our state's Farmers Markets, some of which are in need of substantial capital repairs and improvements. Several of the markets have also suffered from profitability issues, leading to the temporary closing of certain markets. This bill seeks to establish the Georgia Farmers Market Authority, allowing the state's markets to be run more like a business by retaining the income it generates and using it to operate and improve the markets.
分配到家庭农业 & 消费者事务委员会2023年9月2日

HB 311:
Reps. Smith, Stephens, Knight, Greene, Blackmon, and others
This bill is the enabling legislation for the recently passed constitutional amendment that provides for optional temporary tax relief to certain properties located in nationally declared federal disaster areas. The constitutional amendment on the ballot this past November received a 'yes' vote of nearly 92%.
Assigned to House Ways & 2023年2月8日

HB 321:
Reps. 斯科特，斯科菲尔德和戴维斯
Under this proposal, the Department of Human Services could establish the Healthy Food Development Program, to establish, support, facilitate, and expand access to healthy foods in eligible underserved areas, in coordination with Departments of Economic Development, Agriculture, and Natural Resources on an approved application basis.
分配到家庭农业 & 消费者事务委员会会议

HR 135:
Reps. Dickey, Leverett, Washburn, Fleming, Pirkle, and others
This resolution recognizes February 14, 2023, as Georgia Farm Bureau Federation Day at the capitol.
House Adopted 2/7/2023

SB 39:
Sens Jackson, Goodman, Summers and Butler
This bill, 被称为“乔治亚大麻种植法案”," would change the limitations for individuals seeking a license or permit to grow hemp. It would change current law to allow individuals who are convicted of a misdemeanor involving the sale of a controlled substance, to apply for and be given a license or permit to grow industrial hemp. It would also allow someone convicted of a felony to apply for and receive a license or permit after 10 years has passed from said felony.
参议院农业 & 消费者事务委员会2023年7月2日

SB 60:
Sens Hatchett, Ginn, Albers, Robertson, Kennedy and others
Last year Senator Bo Hatchett (R-Cornelia) introduced legislation to address concerns raised by secondary metal recyclers whose business practices are restricted in their methods of payment for deposits. Under current law, recyclers may only pay using a check, electronic funds transfer, or a voucher. GFB along with other interested organizations worked closely with Sen. Hatchett to seek a solution that alleviated their business expenses by allowing for limited cash payment (up to $100) for deposits excluding utility wire, communications copper, copper wire, batteries, 或者催化转化器. The bill did not receive final passage last year, so Sen. Hatchett has reintroduced SB 60, which is nearly identical to last year's legislation. It seeks to find a reasonable balance between deterrence of widespread metal theft while still allowing for a business-friendly environment. We appreciate Sen. Hatchett working with all interested parties to find a solution that also provides specific carve outs for the items and metal property most commonly stolen from farms and agricultural operations.
Passed Senate Judiciary Committee 2/6/202

SB 121:
Sens. Anderson, Ginn, Gooch, Kennedy, Robertson, and others.
This bill prohibits local governments from denying the installation of a water well serving a single-family residence situated on a parcel of one acre or more. 因此，它将允许钻探, servicing, or repair of new or existing wells on single-family residential and farm properties.

SR 106:
Sens. Goodman, Anderson, Walker, Sims, Watson, and others.
This resolution acknowledges February 8th, 2023, as 乔治亚州青年农民协会 Day at the Capitol and commemorates the work done by the members of this organization.
参议院于2023年7月2日通过

Bills of Interest

HB 53:
Reps. Corbett, Meeks, Pirkle, Dickey, and Williams
This bill would establish the State Board of Registration for Foresters as an independent agency attached to the State Forestry Commission for administrative purposes. Currently the Board is under the professional licensing boards division of the Secretary of State's office.
Assigned to House Natural Resources and Environment Committee on 1/23/2023

HB 82:
Reps. Jackson, Hawkins, Cooper, Williams, Beverly, and others
This bill would eliminate the current tax credit available for rural physicians and replace it with a new tax credit of up to $5,每一课税年度为000元. The new tax credit would be available to a wider array of health care professionals including dentists, nurse practitioners, 物理助理等. It also imposes certain restrictions such as a cap on the number of years it can be claimed (5 years) and restrictions on those who are already working in a rural area.
Assigned to House Ways and Means Committee on 1/31/2023

HB 162:
Reps. McDonald, Blackmon, Gillard, Meeks, and Barrett
This bill issues a tax return to all qualified taxpayers who filed an individual tax return for both 2021 and 2022. For a single or married taxpayer filing separately, they will receive $250. For a head of household, they will receive $375. For a married couple filing jointly, they will receive $500.
Assigned to House Ways and Means 2/1/23

HR 32:
Reps. Balinger, Jasperse, Ridley, Byrd, Thomas, Scoggins
本决议表彰雪莉·帕尔, program coordinator and office manager for the Cherokee County Farm Bureau, 表彰她与立法者的合作, 县内领导, 并致力于为她的社区服务. The members of the State House of Representatives congratulate her on her retirement and extends their best wishes.
众议院阅读并通过2023年1月24日

HR 96:
Reps. Williams, Petrea, Dickey, Corbett, Rhodes, and others.
This resolution proposes an amendment to the state constitution that would reduce the rate of ad-valorem tax assessment on timber at the time of sale or harvest. The proposal would require that the state appropriate funds annually to each county or municipality to compensate for any loss in revenue.
Assigned to House Ways and Means Committee 2/6/2023

SR 18:
Sens Walker, Goodman, Dixon, Echols, Anderson
这项决议承认2月21日, 2023, as FFA Day at the Capitol and acknowledges the positive impact that FFA has on youth in Georgia.
参议院于2023年1月24日阅读并通过

SR 36:
Sens Walker, Goodman, Dixon, Echols, Sims, Anderson, and others
Recognizes February 8, 2023, as 4-H Day at the Capitol and commemorates the achievements of outstanding students within the organization this year.
参议院于2023年1月25日阅读并通过

在国会大厦登记GFB日

This year's Georgia Farm Bureau Day at The Capitol is scheduled for Tuesday, February 14th. We hope you will take this opportunity to join us at the State Capitol to advocate for Georgia agriculture and meet with your legislators as well as other Farm Bureau members from across the state.

The event will begin at 9:30am in the Blue Room at The Georgia Freight Depot. The Depot is located on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive just northwest of the Capitol, at Underground Atlanta. Following orientation, we encourage everyone to visit with your legislators at the Capitol and invite them to come back with you to the Depot to enjoy lunch at noon. Invitations will be sent out to all legislators, but a personal invitation from you would be especially helpful.

Complimentary security parking is located at the Sheraton Atlanta Hotel parking deck, 位于东北考特兰街165号, and a shuttle bus service will run from 8:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.

You can access event and registration information by clicking the button below - please complete the registration by January 20th.

Dates to Remember

Please see below for a list of upcoming events related to Georgia Agriculture:

February 14: Georgia Farm Bureau Day at the Capitol
February 21: Georgia FFA Day at the Capitol
March 1: PB&J Day
March 6: Georgia Cattleman's Steak Biscuit Day

不是亚洲体育博彩平台的成员? Join Today!

The Georgia Farm Bureau Federation has a membership of almost 250,000 and serves as state's the largest general farm organization. Our goal is to provide leadership and assistance to the agricultural sector, 推广农产品, 协助农业相关采购, to be a spokesman for the farmer in the legislative arena, to be a leader in the development and expansion of farm markets, and to strive for more agricultural research and educational funds and facilities.

With members in all 159 Georgia counties, Georgia Farm Bureau is dedicated to promoting and improving agriculture in our counties, state and nation and in continually improving and expanding our service-to-member programs which serve to enhance the quality of life for all Georgians.

Membership in Georgia Farm Bureau is open to everyone. You don't need to be a farmer or have insurance with us to join Farm Bureau!

If you would like to become a member of Georgia Farm Bureau, you can start your membership online right now! We have a simple application process, and you can be our newest member in just a couple of minutes. 点击下面的按钮或使用我们的 County Office Locator 找离你最近的办公室.

JOIN TODAY

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公共政策部职员

Alex Bradford, Director
Adam Belflower，政府事务专员
Raynor Churchwell农业项目经理
Renee Jones，营运统筹
Jake Matthews，政府事务专员
Jeremy Taylor农业项目专家
Keaton Walker, Advocacy and Policy Development Specialist

公共政策部

立法会报告第1周

January 13, 2023

IN THIS ISSUE:

In this Issue:

大会会议
Inauguration Day
新的参众两院领导人
肯普州长预算提案
新面孔加入GFB公共政策
2023 Policies Established at the 104th AFBF Convention

大会会议 for 2023 Legislative Session

On January 9th, 2022, the Georgia General Assembly gathered for Day 1 of the 2023 legislative session. The chambers were buzzing with excitement, and it was hard to tell if it was for the start of a new legislative session or the national championship game to be played in Los Angeles later that night. With a Bulldog victory over the Horned Frogs on Monday, the General Assembly reconvened on Wednesday January 11th for the second day of the 40-day session.

On Monday the House and Senate passed an adjournment resolution setting the calendar for the remaining 40 days of the legislative session. Crossover Day, marking the point at which all bills must pass the chamber in which they originated to have a chance at final passage this year, 安排在星期一吗, March 6th. Sine Die, the last day of session, will be on Wednesday, March 29th. This session marks the first year of the two-year biennium, meaning there will be no legislation that carried over from last year.

在本届会议开始时, we welcomed 52 newly elected freshmen legislators to the General Assembly - 10 new state senators and 42 new state representatives. Following a special election on January 31st, three additional new members to the General Assembly will fill the vacant seats of House District 7, House District 172, and Senate District 11. The House seats were occupied by the late Speaker David Ralston (HD 7) and Rep. Sam Watson (HD 172) who gave up his position to run for the vacant Senate District 11 seat, formerly held by Sen. Dean Burke (SD 11).

Legislators met for a total of 4 legislative days this week, adjourning on Friday. They will return on Monday January 23rd, for Legislative Day 5. Next week will largely consist of appropriations hearings as the General Assembly looks to set funding levels for 2024 and amend the FY2023 budget.

Read about the first week of session in Georgia Farm Bureau's Legislative Report
(图片来源:House Media Services)

Inauguration Day - Georgia's Constitutional Officers

As we enter a new year and legislative session, we welcome our constitutional officers who are newly elected and those returning for another term. A joint meeting of the State House and Senate convened in the Georgia State Convocation Center, where Governor Brain Kemp and all other constitutional officers were sworn in. 在肯普州长的就职演说中, he highlighted his accomplishments over the past four years and outlined his plan to build on that success during his second term. Governor Brian Kemp will serve another 4-year term after winning reelection this past November, 赢得了全州53%的选票.

Former State Senator Burt Jones from Jackson, Georgia will be serving as our state's next Lieutenant Governor. Taking over the role of Georgia's 3rd Commissioner of Agriculture since 1969 is Tyler Harper. Commissioner Harper previously served as the State Senator for Georgia's 7th district. Returning for another term will be Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, 司法部长克里斯·卡尔, 亚洲体育博彩平台业监理专员金约翰, and State School Superintendent Richard Woods. Newly elected to serve as Georgia's Commissioner of Labor is former State Senator Bruce Thompson.

Georgia Farm Bureau congratulates all of our elected constitutional officers, and we look forward to working with them throughout the 2023 legislative session and for the years to come.

新的参众两院领导人

GFB祝贺新领导层
(图片来源:参议院新闻办公室)

With quite a few new faces in the Georgia General Assembly also comes changes to key leadership positions in both the State House and Senate. This week, Sen. Russ Goodman (R-Cogdell) was named Chairman of the Senate Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee for the upcoming legislative session. Sen. Goodman is a 7th generation farmer in South Georgia and is a great friend to agriculture and Farm Bureau.

The passing of longtime Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives, David Ralston, late last year came as sad news to all those who knew him. Speaker Ralston's work as a member of the General Assembly and Speaker of the House for the past 12 years will have a positive effect on our state for a long time to come. Taking over the role as Speaker this year is Rep. 乔恩·伯恩斯在乔治亚州纽因顿报道. Previously serving as the House Majority Leader, Speaker Burns represents House District 159. We are excited to have such a strong supporter of agriculture and Farm Bureau in this distinguished position.

Continuing in her role as House Speaker Pro-Tempore is Rep. 47区的简·琼斯. Rep. Chuck Efstration of District 104 will assume the role of House Majority Leader and James Beverley of District 143 will continue to serve as the House Minority Leader. For a comprehensive list of the leadership posts in the House please click here.

Serving as the new Senate President Pro-Tempore is Sen. John F. Kennedy of District 18. Sen. Steve Gooch of District 51 will be the new Senate Majority Leader and Sen. Gloria Butler of District 55 will serve as the Senate Minority Leader. To see the rest of the Senators serving in leadership roles for the new legislative session please click here.

肯普州长公布预算提案

On Friday Governor Kemp released his AFY2023 and FY2024 Budget Report. With state revenues continuing to remain strong, Georgia is on solid footing with a Revenue Shortfall Reserve in excess of $5 billion and additional funds marked as Undesignated Shortfall Reserve. Governor Kemp plans to again use $1 billion of state reserves for a one-time taxpayer refund and another $1 billion for a one-time Homeowner Tax Relief Grants (HTRG) program. The Governor's proposed budget for FY2024 also includes a $2,000 cost of living increase for all state employees totaling around $243 million. Other items include investments in economic development, K-12 education, and law enforcement.

Public Policy Staff will be reviewing the Governor's proposed budget and will be providing a detailed look at all items related to agriculture in next week's legislative report.

新面孔加入GFB公共政策

We are excited to welcome two new faces to the Georgia Farm Bureau (GFB) Public Policy Department. Back in October, GFB welcomed Keaton Walker as the new Advocacy and Policy Development Specialist. She is married to Dr. Clay Walker with one son, Canaan, and currently lives in Hawkinsville, Georgia. Walker grew up on a family farm in Colquitt County raising cattle and quail. She is a graduate of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College and the University of Georgia with a degree in Agricultural Communications. Previously in her career she held positions with Circle F Farms and the Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter. At GFB, Walker will oversee GFB's annual policy development process, 新成立的PAC的运作, and coordinate members' grassroots advocacy initiatives.

基顿·沃克加入亚洲体育博彩平台

Adam Belflower joins Georgia Farm Bureau

Keaton Walker

Adam Belflower

In January, Adam Belflower joined the team as a Governmental Affairs Specialists. He is a recent graduate of the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences where he studied Agribusiness. Belflower is originally from Cochran, Georgia where he attended Bleckley County High School. At a young age he realized his love for agriculture while working on various farms in Bleckley County. In hopes of pursuing a career in agriculture, he attended UGA and became an active member of UGA's Young Farmer & Rancher (YF&R) chapter. Through his time at UGA, involvement with YF&R, and various agriculture internships, Belflower came to start his career with GFB. In this role he will be responsible for representing Georgia agriculture in the legislative arena and working to advance GFB policy before the Georgia General Assembly.

We are excited to have these two join our team and excited to see the great work they will do on behalf of Georgia agriculture.

Right to Repair

On January 8th, 2023, during the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) Convention in Puerto Rico, AFBF and John Deere signed a memorandum of understanding that ensures farmers' and ranchers' right to repair their own farm equipment. This is a culmination of years of discussions between AFBF and John Deere.

The agreement gives farmers and independent repair facilities the ability to access tools, information, and resources needed to repair John Deere equipment while also protecting the intellectual property rights of John Deere products. "A piece of equipment is a major investment. Farmers must have the freedom to choose where equipment is repaired, 或者自己修复, to help control costs. The MOU commits John Deere to ensuring farmers and independent repair facilities have access to many of the tools and software needed to grow the food, fuel and fiber America's families rely on,AFBF主席Zippy Duvall说.

The MOU sets parameters and creates a mechanism to address concerns. It requires AFBF and John Deere to meet at least twice a year to assess the effectiveness of the MOU. It is the hope of Farm Bureau that this original agreement with John Deere will be a model for other manufactures across the agricultural sector. 要阅读官方谅解备忘录，请点击下面.

View MOU

2023 Policies Established at the 104th AFBF Convention

Approximately 120 Georgia Farm Bureau leaders traveled to San Juan, Puerto Rico for the American Farm Bureau Annual Convention on January 6th. Attendees were able to participate in a full agenda of speakers and informative breakout sessions covering topics including leadership development, policy updates, and farm tours, as well as the business session to vote on policy resolutions for the 2023 AFBF Policy Book.

The great work of our members was also recognized across multiple programs throughout the week. GFB is proud to have received the AFBF Award of Excellence in four different categories--advocacy, engagement & outreach, leadership & 业务发展和联盟 & partnerships. Additionally, the MycoLogic team, 肯尼索州立大学毕业, won the People's Choice Award in the Agriculture Innovation Challenge for their impressive culinary mushroom cultivation process and design. We are also very proud of the success and strong showing by Georgia's representatives in the Young Farmers & Ranchers Discussion Meet, Excellence in Ag, and Achievement Award competitions.

GFB is proud to have received the AFBF Award of Excellence in four different categories--advocacy, engagement & outreach, leadership & 业务发展和联盟 & partnerships.

在国会大厦登记GFB日

Complimentary security parking is located at the Sheraton Atlanta Hotel parking deck, 位于东北考特兰街165号, and a shuttle bus service will run from 8:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.

You can access event and registration information by clicking the button below - please complete the registration by January 20th.

Dates to Remember

Please see below for a list of upcoming events related to Georgia Agriculture:

February 6-7: Forestry Day at the Capitol
February 14: Georgia Farm Bureau Day at the Capitol
February 21: Georgia FFA Day at the Capitol
March 6: Georgia Cattleman's Steak Biscuit Day

不是亚洲体育博彩平台的成员? Join Today!

Membership in Georgia Farm Bureau is open to everyone. You don't need to be a farmer or have insurance with us to join Farm Bureau!

JOIN TODAY

Sign up for Legislative Alerts to receive this information by email. Legislative Alerts go out every Friday during session and occasionally for special alerts when necessary.

Subscribe Here