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