Committee approves bill exempting on‑farm feed sales from commercial‑feed distributor rules
March 12, 2025 | 2025 Legislature WV, West Virginia
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The Senate Agriculture Committee approved a committee substitute for Senate Bill 686 to amend West Virginia’s commercial feed law so that a person selling products or commodities produced entirely on their own farm would not be considered a distributor of commercial feed.
Committee counsel summarized the substitute: “Senate bill 6 86 relates generally to the West Virginia commercial feed law. The bill amends that law… to provide that a person who sells products or commodities that are produced entirely on their own farm property is not considered a distributor of commercial feed under the law.” Counsel added that the committee substitute before members made “purely technical changes to the bill’s language and to the subdivision numbering therein.”
The committee also discussed a fiscal note: counsel reported that the Department of Agriculture’s fiscal note showed no anticipated increase in expenses and “minimal, if any, revenue.” A senator urged the chair to request a waiver from the bill’s second committee reference to Senate Finance, arguing the measure posed little fiscal impact. The chair indicated the clerk had confirmed the fiscal note should be available through chamber systems and that he would request a waiver at the appropriate time.
Committee action: with no amendments offered, the committee agreed to the committee substitute and voted to report SB 686 to the full Senate with the recommendation that it do pass, under the original double committee reference (first to Finance). The committee carried the motions by voice vote and the chair declared the ayes to have it.
Context: the substitute narrows the regulatory scope of the commercial feed statute so small-scale producers who sell feed or commodities produced entirely on their property are not subject to distributor requirements. The transcript records no public witnesses opposing the change and no further substantive amendments in committee.
Next steps: the substitute will be reported to the full Senate with the committee’s recommendation that it pass and with any second reference handled per chamber rules.
Committee counsel summarized the substitute: “Senate bill 6 86 relates generally to the West Virginia commercial feed law. The bill amends that law… to provide that a person who sells products or commodities that are produced entirely on their own farm property is not considered a distributor of commercial feed under the law.” Counsel added that the committee substitute before members made “purely technical changes to the bill’s language and to the subdivision numbering therein.”
The committee also discussed a fiscal note: counsel reported that the Department of Agriculture’s fiscal note showed no anticipated increase in expenses and “minimal, if any, revenue.” A senator urged the chair to request a waiver from the bill’s second committee reference to Senate Finance, arguing the measure posed little fiscal impact. The chair indicated the clerk had confirmed the fiscal note should be available through chamber systems and that he would request a waiver at the appropriate time.
Committee action: with no amendments offered, the committee agreed to the committee substitute and voted to report SB 686 to the full Senate with the recommendation that it do pass, under the original double committee reference (first to Finance). The committee carried the motions by voice vote and the chair declared the ayes to have it.
Context: the substitute narrows the regulatory scope of the commercial feed statute so small-scale producers who sell feed or commodities produced entirely on their property are not subject to distributor requirements. The transcript records no public witnesses opposing the change and no further substantive amendments in committee.
Next steps: the substitute will be reported to the full Senate with the committee’s recommendation that it pass and with any second reference handled per chamber rules.
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