Kemp signs 10 Georgia bills impacting agriculture, forestry and water policy

Gov. Brian Kemp signed 10 bills last week that impact Georgia agriculture and natural resources.

The signing follows several days of Kemp approving legislation ahead of the Tuesday deadline to either sign or veto bills passed by the Georgia legislature before they become law.

“Georgia’s farming and foresting families are some of the toughest people in our state who, despite the challenges of the past several years, have persevered and continue to put food on our tables, clothes on our backs, and provide the material for structures like our very homes,” Kemp said in a news release.

Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper applauded Kemp’s decision to sign the legislation at the event Wednesday.

“We’re always going to do everything in our power to support our Georgia farm families, our consumers, our forestry industries and our ag industries in a time of need,” he said. 

House Bill 117 requires all food service establishments that serve shrimp imported from other countries to notify customers either on their menu or through other signage. House Bill 134, also known as the Keep Georgia Forested Act, expands tax credits for forestry manufacturers.

Here are the eight other pieces of legislation Kemp signed.

• House Bill 1159 exempts any payments received from the Farmer Bridge Assistance Program and the Specialty Crop Farmers Program from income tax.
• House Bill 1008 updates that State Water Plan to revise Regional Water Planning Councils and specifies that Memorandum of Agreements will be renewed as-needed.
• House Bill 956 expands the use of Solid Waste Trust Fund to include permitting, monitoring, regulation or guidance development, inspections and enforcement.
• House Bill 983 protects prescribed burning by preventing counties and municipalities from imposing additional barriers on landowners.
• House Bill 1310 designates cotton as the official state fabric of Georgia.
• Senate Bill 306 streamlines the Conservation Use Valuation Assessment process to help protect Georgia farmers and farmland.
• Senate Bill 435 renames the Georgia Development Authority to the Georgia Agricultural Development Authority.
• Senate Bill 551 removes the egg candling code section from Georgia law for those with backyard flocks.