Vermont H 942: An act relating to miscellaneous agricultural subjects

Bill Text

No. 167 Page 1 of 19
2026

VT LEG #390260 v.1
No. 167. An act relating to miscellaneous agricultural subjects.
(H.942)
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont:
* * * Water Quality Training * * *
Sec. 1. 6 V.S.A. § 4981 is amended to read:
§ 4981. AGRICULTURAL WATER QUALITY TRAINING
(a) On or before July 1, 2016, as part of the revisions of the Required
Agricultural Practices, the The Secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets
shall may adopt by rule requirements for training classes or programs for
owners or operators of small farms, medium farms, or large farms certified or
permitted under this chapter regarding:
(1) the prevention of discharges, as that term is defined in 10 V.S.A.
§ 1251(3); and
(2) the mitigation and management of stormwater runoff, as that term is
defined in 10 V.S.A. § 1264, from farms.
(b) Any training required under this section shall may address:
(1) the existing statutory and regulatory requirements for operation of a
large, medium, or small farm in the State;
(2) the management practices and technical and financial resources
available to assist in compliance with statutory or regulatory agricultural
requirements;

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2026

VT LEG #390260 v.1
(3) the land application of manure or nutrients, methods or techniques to
minimize the runoff of land-applied manure or nutrients to waters of the State,
and identification of weather or soil conditions that increase the risk of runoff
of land-applied manure or nutrients to waters of the State; and
(4) standards required for nutrient management, including nutrient
management planning; or
(5) best management practices and other techniques for improving farm
practices or water quality.
(c) The Secretary shall may include the training required by this section
requirements as a condition of a large farm permit, medium farm permit, or
small farm certification required under this chapter, or may require any farm
operator or owner to participate in assigned training when the Secretary
determines additional water quality education is appropriate. The Secretary
may phase in training requirements under this section based on farm size,
permit or certification category, or available staffing. On or before July 1,
2017, the Secretary shall establish a schedule by which all owners or operators
of small farms, medium farms, or large farms shall complete the training
required by this section.
(d) The Secretary may approve or authorize the training required by this
section to be conducted by other entities, including the University of Vermont
Extension Service and the natural resources conservation districts, to perform
any training described in this section.

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VT LEG #390260 v.1
(e) The Secretary shall not charge the owner or operator of a large,
medium, or small farm for the any training required by this section the
Secretary requires. The Secretary shall provide or pay for the any training
required under this section from funds available to the Agency of Agriculture,
Food and Markets for water quality initiatives.
(f) As of July 1, 2026, the mandatory water quality training requirements in
the Required Agricultural Practices Rule are repealed, and the Secretary may
prospectively determine appropriate training requirements as described by this
section.
* * * Managing Non-Sewage Waste * * *
Sec. 2. 6 V.S.A. § 4817 is amended to read:
§ 4817. MANAGEMENT OF NON-SEWAGE WASTE
(a) As used in this section:
(1) “Non-sewage waste” means any waste other than sewage that may
contain organisms pathogenic to human beings but does not mean stormwater
runoff.
(2) “Sewage” means waste containing human fecal coliform and other
potential pathogenic organisms from sanitary waste and used water from any
building, including carriage water and shower and wash water. “Sewage” does
not mean stormwater runoff as that term is defined in 10 V.S.A. § 1264.

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VT LEG #390260 v.1
(3) “Waste materials” means non-sewage solid or liquid digestates from
certified solid waste facilities or materials approved by the Secretary of the
Agency of Natural Resources for acceptable use under the Solid Waste Rules.
(b)(1) The Secretary may require This section shall apply to a person
transporting or arranging for the transport of the following:
(A) non-sewage waste to a farm for deposit in a manure pit or for use
as an input in a methane digester; or
(B) waste materials to a farm for storage, land application, deposit in
a manure pit, or use in a methane digester.
(2) to A person subject to this section shall obtain approval from the
Secretary prior to transporting the non-sewage waste or waste materials to the
any farm. The Secretary may require a person to report to the Secretary at a
designated time one or more of the following provide the following
information to evaluate a request to transport the described materials to a farm:
(1)(A) the composition of the material transported proposed for
transpor