Vermont H. 386: An act relating to home health agency provider taxes

Bill Text

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VT LEG #380800 v.1
H.386 1
Introduced by Representative Surprenant of Barnard 2
Referred to Committee on 3
Date: 4
Subject: Agriculture; succession planning; land access 5
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to establish an 6
Agricultural Land Transfer Assistance Program at the Agency of Agriculture, 7
Food and Markets to assist owners of agricultural land in connecting with or 8
identifying prospective purchasers who intend to maintain the land for farming. 9
An act relating to establishing an Agricultural Land Transfer Assistance 10
Program 11
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 12
Sec. 1. 6 V.S.A. chapter 208 is added to read: 13
CHAPTER 208. AGRICULTURAL LAND TRANSFER ASSISTANCE 14
PROGRAM 15
§ 4651. DEFINITIONS 16
As used in this chapter: 17
(1) “Agency” means the Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets. 18
(2) “Farming” has the same meaning as in 10 V.S.A. § 6001(22). 19
(3) “Secretary” means the Secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets. 20

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§ 4652. AGRICULTURAL LAND TRANSFER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM 1
The Agricultural Land Transfer Assistance Program is established at the 2
Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets to: 3
(1) identify agricultural land in the State that may be available for 4
transfer or succession; 5
(2) provide farm owners with assistance in succession planning or 6
finding willing purchasers who will maintain the land for farming; 7
(3) assist new farmers in accessing capital or financing to purchase 8
agricultural land; 9
(4) connect owners of agricultural land with purchasers willing to retain 10
the land for farming; and 11
(5) implement the assistance, tools, and programs established under this 12
chapter. 13
§ 4653. FARM OWNERSHIP SUCCESSION PLANNING 14
(a) The Secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets, after consultation with 15
the Secretary of Commerce and Community Development, shall establish the 16
Farm Ownership Succession Planning Program to provide farmers assistance 17
with planning for succession of ownership of agricultural land. 18
(b)(1) As part of the Program, the Secretary shall develop a succession 19
planning toolkit that can be used by farm owners who are planning on selling 20
or closing their farm. The toolkit shall include the following: 21

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(A) a summary of financial resources available to prospective 1
farmers interested in buying farms and farmland for the purpose of farming; 2
(B) an itemized list of all farming-related education and support 3
programs in place at public and private institutions of higher learning in the 4
State; 5
(C) a list of State-supported economic development funding for 6
farming and for sustaining farming; 7
(D) a list of organizations in the State and in adjoining states that 8
auction and sell farming equipment and farming supplies; 9
(E) a list of insurance and financial services requirements impacting 10
the sale and purchasing of farms and farmland; 11
(F) forms, legal templates, and other resources that may be helpful in 12
exercising the transfer of agricultural land; and 13
(G) a directory of professionals, such as attorneys or accountants, that 14
have experience in completing farm transfers. 15
(2) The Secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets shall make the 16
toolkit available on the Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets’ website to 17
any person who requests the toolkit. 18
(c) As part of the Program, the Secretary shall conduct at least three 19
educational workshops a year for the purpose of connecting owners of 20

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agricultural land who are planning on selling farmland with prospective 1
farmers interested in purchasing or leasing agricultural land. 2
(d) The Secretary shall train Agency staff or contract for services to aid 3
farmers exiting farming and those beginning farmers navigate the land transfer 4
process with the tools and resources available under the Program. These 5
persons shall be known as land transfer navigators, and they shall be available 6
to meet with prospective sellers and purchasers individually to facilitate lands 7
transfers that maintain agricultural land for farming. Land transfer navigators 8
shall also provide assistance to sellers and purchasers regarding the regulatory 9
requirements related to land transfer and related to the ownership or operation 10
of a farm, such as compliance with the Required Agricultural Practices. 11
§ 4654. AGRICULTURAL LAND PORTAL 12
The Secretary shall develop an agricultural land portal as an online tool on 13
the Agency’s website that allows persons seeking to sell agricultural land to 14
connect with persons seeking to purchase agricultural land. The tool shall 15
include those public postings of agricultural land available for sale or lease, 16
and instructions on