SF 2172 (LSB 5483SV (1) 84)

SENATE FILE 2172

BY  COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE

(SUCCESSOR TO SF 2022)

A BILL FOR

An Act relating to management of swine, including by providing for biosecurity and development in a farrowing and gestating operation which is part of a confinement feeding operation, and making penalties applicable.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  LEGISLATIVE INTENT.  It is the intent of the general assembly to support swine confinement feeding operations maintaining swine as part of a farrowing and gestating operation by improving the biosecurity of the confinement feeding operation which provides for the on-site raising of replacement breeding swine for the confinement feeding operation’s sow herd.
    Sec. 2.  Section 459.102, subsection 46, paragraph b, Code 2011, is amended to read as follows:
   b.  For a confinement feeding operation maintaining swine as part of a farrowing and gestating operation, two thousand five hundred or more animal units.

In calculating the animal unit capacity of a confinement feeding operation under this paragraph, an animal unit does not include replacement breeding swine, if all of the following apply:
   (1)  The replacement breeding swine are raised at the confinement feeding operation.
   (2)  The replacement breeding swine are used in the farrowing and gestating operation.
EXPLANATION
   LEGISLATIVE INTENT. The bill provides that it is the intent of the general assembly to support certain swine confinement feeding operations (facilities which house swine under a roof) and specifically sow reproduction operations, referred to as a farrowing and gestating operation. The general assembly declares an intent to improve biosecurity of confinement feeding operations involved in the on-site raising of replacement of breeding swine.
   CURRENT LAW. Currently, special regulations apply to the storage of manure originating from a so-called “qualified confinement feeding operation” which includes a farrowing and gestating operation. The confinement feeding operation is designated as qualified if the maximum number of animal units that may be maintained there at any one time (animal unit capacity) equals 2,500 or more animal units (Code section 459.102). Generally, once classified as qualified, the confinement feeding operation must store manure in a structure that maintains aeration equipment (Code section 459.206). 
   ANIMAL UNITS CALCULATED. Generally, an animal unit is calculated based on animal size. For example, each head of breeding swine is equal to 0.400 animal units and each head of swine weighing 15 pounds or more but not more than 55 pounds is equal to 0.100 animal units. For example, a person keeping 1,000 sows would have 400 animal units (1,000 x .4).
   RECALCULATING ANIMAL UNITS. The bill changes how animal units are calculated in order to determine if a confinement feeding operation which includes a farrowing and gestating operation is considered qualified. Under the bill, replacement breeding swine are not counted if two conditions are satisfied. First, the replacement breeding swine must be raised at the confinement feeding operation and second, the replacement breeding swine must be used in the farrowing and gestating operation.