HARRISBURG – Senator Kristin Phillips-Hill (R-York) supported passage of a package of bills this week that would assist local farmers address significant challenges within the agricultural industry.
“I am extremely grateful the senate prioritized these proposals that will assist York County’s number one industry,” Phillips-Hill said. “These reforms will help today’s farmers and are also forward-thinking to address challenges for the next generation of farmers both locally and across the state. We look forward to working to assure that agriculture remains one of the top industries in Pennsylvania and in York County.”
Bills in the “Farming First” package that were passed by the Senate this week include:
- A tax credit program for landowners to lease or sell farmland to future generations of farmers.
- The creation of the Pennsylvania Dairy Future Commission to bring together all stakeholders in the industry.
- Changes to the state’s farmland preservation program to allow farmers more flexibility for building or subdividing residences.
- Updating Pennsylvania’s Vehicle Code to allow the transportation of large farm equipment.
- Exempting milk haulers from weather-related travel bans.
- Easing restrictions on the use of farmland for farm-related tourism and entertainment activities.
- Setting commonsense safety standards and removing costly requirements for barn weddings and other social events on farms.
Pennsylvania’s 59,000 farm families manage more than 7.7 million acres of farmland. The agriculture industry generates more than $7.5 billion in cash receipts annually.
All of the bills in the “Farming First” package move to the House of Representatives for consideration.
You can learn more about the “Farming First” package here.