[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6386281,"mediaKeyId","2118381-52e9552aef69a46ad14eec8c6145996e","parentId",2118381,"title","Committee debates bill requiring pesticide applicators to notify registered beekeepers; motion to pass by indefinitely carries","audioSeconds",3728,"startMs",1783000,"endMs",5511000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2118381-52e9552aef69a46ad14eec8c6145996e&start=1783&end=5511","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2118381-52e9552aef69a46ad14eec8c6145996e/thumbnail_1783000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6386281/Virginia/Committee-debates-bill-requiring-pesticide-applicators-to-notify-registered-beekeepers-motion-to-pass-by-indefinitely-carries","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6386281-69cb79783d8128205c795e6f0ccff15e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771163486&Signature=LdfF9~OKPc30oc7-W7ngAMf1gdQKl-gRxjVymzsFTHoIP47ClGJb0NAPTb-sSeMUTEcdjMzqYkQKB8xFJRC-ilR0FyKt5wUFPuf1hIpdfsaeWu1dZDZn2G1JNVF2ULm3iknLlNT4FxoXF2aAeezTaFrOJLOGtoDvZHabf67RSNpWXiJpx5T-aiLFWCs6oxk~O20zcgP2L6oLcQDlMNkbABDPUX1jM86IMDmmdDTucK1t1~B4lc7W2clQpqIP50zq1gnNw6vXJ9e2DlHiMiNEIOUwj5fZ~hBm2nuaUVWUoabqnq3nJuwqf7X8CY5R4~ojtG-jj-O78fynTBRKQwvowQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Virginia Legislature","date","2025-01-14T00:00:00Z","article","The Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Committee heard hours of testimony on a proposal that would force commercial and private pesticide applicators to notify beekeepers listed on the BeeCheck apiary registry at least five days before aerial or other pesticide applications that reach 12 feet or more above the ground.

Senator Bill Stanley, the bill's patron, told the committee the measure is a ‘‘notice’’ requirement, not a ban, and argued it is aimed at safeguarding pollinators that support agriculture. \"If there's no bees, there's no food,\" Stanley said during his opening remarks.

The bill would require applicators to submit written notice containing the application location, total acreage, date and time, brand names of pesticides to be applied and contact information. Notices must go to any beekeeper who both is within a five‑mile radius of the application and appears on the BeeCheck apiary registry. The measure also includes a civil‑penalty provision; the transcript records a $500 penalty for a first offense and an unclear figure described as \"$25100\" for subsequent violations (amount not specified in the record).

Supporters — including commercial and hobbyist beekeepers, the Virginia State Beekeepers Association, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the Virginia Sierra Club and other conservation groups — said the requirement would allow beekeepers to take routine, low‑cost protective steps, such as covering hive entrances or temporarily relocating hives, when a spray is planned. \"Bees are livestock really when you think about it,\" said Sue Roland of the Virginia State Beekeepers Association, which voted to support the bill.

Opponents — including farm groups, aerial applicators and brokers for forestry, poultry and Christmas‑tree growers — argued the timing and radius would be unworkable for modern agriculture and for public‑health mosquito control. Matt Crabb, a professional aerial applicator, told the committee that predicting weather and treatment windows five days in advance over a five‑mile buffer is infeasible. \"Five days in, five miles ... not feasible,\" he said.

Several speakers from agriculture and applicator groups added that applicators are already regulated by state pesticide laws and that VDACS (the state pesticide office) maintains inspection and record‑keeping authority. VDOX/VDACS witnesses told the committee the agency enforces label requirements and that varroa mites and other parasites, not pesticides, constitute the largest stressors on hives statewide, citing federal research reported to the committee.

Committee members pressed the bill's author on practical questions: how applicators should determine who is within five miles (the BeeCheck entry provides location data but does not automatically calculate distances), what happens if weather prevents spraying in the five‑day window, and whether registration on BeeCheck should be mandatory for the new protections to apply. The patron repeatedly described the measure as a tool to encourage communication between beekeepers and applicators, not to create a ban.

After roughly three hours of testimony and questioning, committee members voted on a motion to pass the bill by indefinitely (effectively tabling it). The motion carried on a roll call, 12 in favor, 1 opposed. The committee therefore did not advance the bill out of committee this session.

Votes at a glance: Motion to pass SB 911 by indefinitely (pass by indefinitely carried) — Roll call: Ayes 12, Noes 1.

What happened next: Senator Stanley said he would continue to work with stakeholders on the policy; committee members and witnesses suggested possible technical fixes (shorter notice for emergency conditions, different buffers or methods to identify apiary locations, and clearer enforcement language) for future iterations.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","January 14, 2025 - Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources - SR A (305) - 30 min. after adjournment","oneSentenceSummary","The Senate Agriculture Committee considered a bill that would require five‑day written notice to beekeepers on the BeeCheck registry before aerial or high‑height pesticide applications; after extensive testimony, the committee adopted a motion to pass the bill by indefinitely (12–1).","taxTitle","2025 Legislature VA, Virginia","taxId",77687,"location","Virginia","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6386270,"Committee takes up subcommittee reports and housekeeping transfers; SB 907 re‑referred and SB 916 substitute accepted",5054,449000,5503000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2118381-52e9552aef69a46ad14eec8c6145996e&start=449&end=5503","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2118381-52e9552aef69a46ad14eec8c6145996e/thumbnail_449000.jpg","/articles/6386270/Virginia/Committee-takes-up-subcommittee-reports-and-housekeeping-transfers-SB-907-rereferred-and-SB-916-substitute-accepted","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6386270-fe78422759cdb4c16198adc39885232d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771163486&Signature=C2FzmT2SC5F5NX96TDNeh2ruT8WwuzSIk~X72LxF0QCcAUv9NdFE9c2UJnpWpzDNEUksXO1ATpC8UrmXINL5wzUjmSKiQqf0kcf9X5LXBE~yCwgrExFCYvTypkBJ71vzc-9HXO0cdrwphqprGC4sFJJxhN809RZFfRBhfFqSlvxsdXZFTNAI-XVLi2znsE6bKF6W4BlGy9CduG4o72EaU~5J4QLJDobODrpvW6e9Ug7Bcwz5sZtZWU4gEbc-9Q4lw45OKbAH9CKksU~WLqozNT5ovYvDtzoPIOFwHQ1h7yLFuyPqJLFPUc029vEnsaAwz2pliUAtEFtlrPgsCZcCSA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Committee opened with subcommittee housekeeping and several uncontested actions.

The committee approved a motion to re‑refer Senate Bill 907 (a measure related to research animals and the study of maternal and child health) to the Education and Health Committee. The clerk recorded the roll as Ayes 12, Noes 1.

The committee also accepted the companion‑animal subcommittee's recommendation on Senate Bill 916 and adopted an amendment in the nature of a substitute directing the relevant agency to convene stakeholders to identify information that is gathered and maintained and to report back to committees by a specified date. After consideration the committee voted to report SB 916; the roll call was Ayes 13, Noes 0.

These actions were presented as subcommittee reports and were largely procedural; staff distributed the amendment text and the committee temporarily passed by a substitute while the printed version was distributed.

","The committee accepted a companion‑animal subcommittee report, voted to re‑refer Senate Bill 907 to the Education and Health Committee, adopted an amendment in the nature of a substitute for Senate Bill 916 and reported SB 916 to the floor with a unanimous roll call.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6386271,"Committee advances dam‑safety bill to streamline remediation and clarify local authority",545,1207000,1752000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2118381-52e9552aef69a46ad14eec8c6145996e&start=1207&end=1752","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2118381-52e9552aef69a46ad14eec8c6145996e/thumbnail_1207000.jpg","/articles/6386271/Virginia/Committee-advances-damsafety-bill-to-streamline-remediation-and-clarify-local-authority","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6386271-4589e89be5df10de09aa10d578c598d6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771163486&Signature=L-q1zoAohQjNzhhOgTOmjZTQDqhJYcp~ISGILflp7qTSgkQFe5DlzS0Hc7DHYrIj5S7njvLK95oKqL-qc95AESr-W1vVGSP1hHNohtoTLm73McMWLKIATgInyeDa8E5sixOYGK5DAs4v6DtDQ63d3ZuFE9lpChvtyB7ZkSKkEd3kpJ8gBR3p43BPqTkNLaUJ3Px-ZXqXv1j9VpliFwREBuS83TMm~9JS2BP4gXAircJpsu0YGk1NcpcnaXBlehCA2R-i8a3orykUcGmKRurgT6rVw3gpqRV6eWxt-c3Tu9FQL8XSzYAAeCNJZici3bxRFazA3wfOhtxAp6lsHYLdPA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senators in the Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Committee advanced legislation to clarify emergency authority under the Virginia Dam Safety Act and to streamline remediation and enforcement procedures for low‑hazard dams.

Senator Tim French, speaking for the measure, said the bill and accompanying line amendments are intended to make it easier for owners of low‑risk dams to comply with statutory requirements and to reduce enforcement delays. The bill would give the Department of Conservation and Recreation clearer ability to work with local governments during emergencies while making local participation permissive rather than mandatory.

DCR Director Matt Wells told the committee that the bill would clarify how the department's emergency authority could extend to local governments without compelling local action. He described a recent Hanover County situation in which local equipment could have been used to avert a failure but the authority to act was uncertain. \"What the bill seeks to do is to clarify that the department has the authority to order the local government to get involved,\" Wells said, and the amendments \"make it clear that that authority can be exercised with the agreement of the local government and not just by fiat.\"

The measure also changes the remediation planning process so that owners — who already pay for inspections and engineering — prepare remediation plans that are then reviewed by the department, rather than having the Soil and Water Conservation Board develop the plan after the department orders inspections. DCR testified that the change should shorten the back‑and‑forth and reduce costs for owners.

Multiple conservation groups and local soil and water conservation districts testified in support of the bill; no opposition was recorded in committee.

The committee voted to report and refer the bill to the Finance Committee; the roll call was Ayes 13, Noes 0.

","The committee voted unanimously to report a bill that clarifies the Department of Conservation and Recreation's emergency authority over dams and seeks to streamline remediation responsibilities for low‑hazard dams by shifting certain remediation‑plan duties to dam owners, with local governments' participation made permissive in the amendments.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6386276,"Committee advances bill allowing Virginia Recreation Facilities Authority to dissolve so Roanoke County can assume Explorer Park",336,831000,1167000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2118381-52e9552aef69a46ad14eec8c6145996e&start=831&end=1167","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2118381-52e9552aef69a46ad14eec8c6145996e/thumbnail_831000.jpg","/articles/6386276/Virginia/Committee-advances-bill-allowing-Virginia-Recreation-Facilities-Authority-to-dissolve-so-Roanoke-County-can-assume-Explorer-Park","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6386276-fae8cdeef406320f9a8840305d37f7bc/orig.mp4?Expires=1771163486&Signature=Erz4PhJuKd8hjJG2T5eN~ZuOJl3hPSHdmiaWaB0F6ZqUh~sXnc6P6mVh~-aql8XKOrIvqnDiwA58ihhy2E2sVuB6FvhGmwEvX4wQZPqP2Pv3GyOvrmRFsDWWus4Swz1qacLOo82NvlJ5UBN6RnjuXOzv0ZLgTT5SqlPDYpp25jX0xVJ2ZX8XpOPiqS1oEfq0zV6vrJnJRJTI9b2hmcOerqkv6ubeLI0dPWFgnwZs5XiQX976OvW~MniYL~6Z0DmPkc8reLl6OO752enKfQKfLdd5~19wScjSDhVGJCXSuNsSYwkgTPCj4F-M1Y-5vmc961UHHorrbMZ4DwS4YcpR1A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Bill 796, presented in the Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Committee, would authorize the Virginia Recreation Facilities Authority (VRFA) to dissolve and allow localities to assume ownership of a park project known as Explorer Park along the Roanoke River.

The bill's sponsor told the committee that the VRFA — created in 1986 to develop the park — has not met expectations over decades and that Roanoke County and Bedford County have sought authority to take full ownership so local governments and concessionaires can invest directly in the site. \"Roanoke County has spent about $8,000,000\" on the park since assuming operations under a lease, a Roanoke County representative said during testimony.

Matt Wells, director of the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), told the committee the department supports the bill and that county operation has succeeded. \"We support the bill,\" Wells said, adding the county \"will continue to do a fine job with it. There's no need for this to revert back to the Commonwealth.\"

Eldon James, representing Roanoke County, described water and sewer extensions and recent investments intended to expand recreational offerings and concession opportunities.

The committee voted to report the bill and refer it to the Finance Committee. The clerk reported the roll call as Ayes 13, Noes 0.

What happens next: Because the committee reported SB 796, the bill will be considered by the Finance Committee as the legislative process continues.

","The committee voted unanimously to report a bill that would authorize the Virginia Recreation Facilities Authority to dissolve and allow Roanoke County to assume ownership and operation of Explorer Park; DCR supported the transfer and Roanoke County representatives described about $8 million in local investments.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee debates bill requiring pesticide applicators to notify registered beekeepers; motion to pass by indefinitely carries

Committee takes up subcommittee reports and housekeeping transfers; SB 907 re‑referred and SB 916 substitute accepted

Committee advances dam‑safety bill to streamline remediation and clarify local authority

Committee advances bill allowing Virginia Recreation Facilities Authority to dissolve so Roanoke County can assume Explorer Park