House File 503 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 503 BY COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE (SUCCESSOR TO HF 168) A BILL FOR An Act excluding certain show animals from formulas used to 1 calculate the capacity of animal feeding operations. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 1790HV (1) 86 da/rj
H.F. 503 Section 1. Section 459.201, Code 2015, is amended by adding 1 the following new subsection: 2 NEW SUBSECTION . 2A. A show animal entered in a program 3 or project sponsored by 4-H or the national FFA organization 4 or one of its chapters, including but not limited to an 5 exhibition, contest, or fair event, shall not be included in 6 calculating animal weight capacity, animal units, or animal 7 unit capacity. 8 Sec. 2. Section 459.301, Code 2015, is amended by adding the 9 following new subsection: 10 NEW SUBSECTION . 2A. A show animal described in section 11 459.201 shall not be included in calculating animal weight 12 capacity, animal units, or animal unit capacity. 13 Sec. 3. Section 459A.103, Code 2015, is amended by adding 14 the following new subsection: 15 NEW SUBSECTION . 2A. A show animal described in section 16 459.201 shall not be included in calculating animal units or 17 animal unit capacity. 18 Sec. 4. Section 459B.103, Code 2015, is amended by adding 19 the following new subsection: 20 NEW SUBSECTION . 6. A show animal described in section 21 459.201 shall not be included in calculating animal units or 22 animal unit capacity. 23 EXPLANATION 24 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 25 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 26 GENERAL. This bill provides that certain show animals are 27 not to be counted when computing the animal capacity of an 28 animal feeding operation regulated by the department of natural 29 resources. In order to not to be counted, the animal must 30 be entered in a program or project sponsored by 4-H or the 31 national FFA organization or one of its chapters, such as an 32 exhibition, contest, or fair event. 33 BACKGROUND. The applicability and scope of regulation often 34 depends upon the size of an animal feeding operation which 35 -1- LSB 1790HV (1) 86 da/rj 1/ 2
H.F. 503 is either measured by animal weight capacity or animal unit 1 capacity. An animal feeding operation is an area in which 2 animals (cattle, swine, horses, sheep, chickens, turkeys, or 3 fish) are maintained for at least 45 days. Animal weight 4 capacity is the average weight of all animals in a confinement 5 feeding operation when the operation is at full animal 6 capacity. Animal unit capacity is determined by multiplying 7 the maximum number of each category of animal species that may 8 be confined at one time by an equivalency factor assigned to 9 that category and then adding those sums together. 10 -2- LSB 1790HV (1) 86 da/rj 2/ 2