HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3526 FILED ON: 1/25/2011
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3221
|
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Kate Hogan
_________________
To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act to strengthen and expand the board of agriculture.
_______________
PETITION OF:
Name: | District/Address: | Date Added: |
Kate Hogan | 3rd Middlesex | 1/25/2011 |
Carolyn C. Dykema | 8th Middlesex | 2/3/2011 |
Steven S. Howitt | 4th Bristol | 2/3/2011 |
Cory Atkins | 14th Middlesex | 2/3/2011 |
John W. Scibak | 2nd Hampshire | 2/1/2011 |
Jennifer E. Benson | 37th Middlesex | 2/3/2011 |
Bruce E. Tarr |
| 1/31/2011 |
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3526 FILED ON: 1/25/2011
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3221
By Ms. Hogan of Stow, a petition (subject to Joint Rule 12) of Kate Hogan and others for legislation to increase the membership of the board of agriculture within the Department of Agricultural Resources. Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture. |
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
In the Year Two Thousand Eleven
_______________
An Act to strengthen and expand the board of agriculture.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
SECTION 1. Section 1 of chapter 20 is hereby removed and replaced with the following:
"There shall be a Department of Agricultural Resources under the supervision and control of a board of agriculture, hereinafter called the board. The board shall consist of 13 members who shall represent the geographic diversity of the Commonwealth as well as the diversity of agricultural operations within the Commonwealth, appointed by the Governor.
At least 9 members of the board shall be farmers whose principal vocation is the production of food and fiber. Member shall be appointed for a term of 3 years with no member serving more than two consecutive terms.
The board shall meet not less than six times a year or at the call of the chairman and at such times as shall be determined by its rules or at the request of the commissioner or the call of any three members. The chairman shall be annually appointed by a majority of said board present and voting thereon. Board members shall receive fifty dollars for each day or portion thereof spent in the discharge of their official duties not to exceed six hundred dollars per year and shall be reimbursed for the travel to and from official board meetings and other expenses necessary to conduct such meetings.
There shall be a commissioner of agricultural resources who shall be appointed and may be removed by the secretary of environmental affairs with the approval of the governor. Said commissioner shall have charge of the administration of the department. The department may expend for traveling expenses of its employees incurred in the performance of their official duties and for other necessary expenses of the department, such sums as may be appropriated."