All Roll Calls
Yes: 138 • No: 0
UtahH.B. 2532025 General SessionHouseWALLET
Agriculture and Food Amendments
Sponsored By: Carl R. Albrecht (Republican)
Signed by Governor
AgricultureDepartment of Agriculture and FoodLivestockAnimalsSales and Use TaxAgriculture & Food
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
15 provisions identified: 8 benefits, 3 costs, 4 mixed.
More veterinarians qualify for loan repayment
Utah expands access to its Veterinarian Education Loan Repayment Program. The added route requires at least 20% livestock medicine and 10% practice time across specified service settings. Those settings include Indian country, qualifying animal shelters, and employment with the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food. The existing route requiring at least 30% livestock medicine remains, along with other program eligibility rules. Each award is capped at the smaller of $20,000 or the veterinarian's education loan balance.
Lower grant match for farm irrigation
The minimum applicant match for qualifying agricultural water optimization grants falls from 50% to 25% of total project costs. Covered projects involve subsurface drip irrigation, automated surge irrigation, or measurement, telemetry, or reporting. The change took effect May 7, 2025, and applies to applications filed on or after January 1, 2024.
Stronger sales rights for livestock owners
Local governments that allow someone to own livestock must also allow that person to trade, sell, or transfer livestock. Transfers cannot exceed the number the person is allowed to own. Local governments can require a business license for these activities. They cannot deny that license based wholly or partly on livestock ownership or those sales and transfers.
Fewer genetic paperwork rules for elk
Domesticated elk facilities and importers no longer need the specified genetic-purity certifications. Import rules also drop the listed red-deer genetic-factor, breeder-registration, and approved-state-program requirements. Importers must still prove that elk came from a legal source.
Later predator fees for livestock owners
Covered livestock owners now file predator-control forms and pay fees by December 31 instead of April 1. This applies to livestock using Utah public or private range that falls outside the specified cattle or sheep fee rules. The board sets annual fees by July 1 instead of January 1. The commissioner must mail forms by September 1 instead of January 1.
Longer brand registrations for livestock owners
Livestock brand applicants can choose expiration in the fifth or tenth year of the applicable renewal cycle. They must make that choice when applying. Previously, the law specified expiration in the fifth year.
Broader trading rights for plant food businesses
Agricultural cooperatives can supply plant food as part of their work for agricultural producers. The law extends sales and exchange protections to plant food importers, manufacturers, and businesses mixing materials for sale. Protected shipments to manufacturers or mixers remain subject to brand-registration requirements. Municipalities cannot regulate commercial feed, plant food, pesticides, seeds, or other items under the state agriculture department's exclusive authority.
Land board manages farm conservation grants
The Utah Land Conservation Board administers the LeRay McAllister Working Farm and Ranch Fund Program. The board can authorize grants from the fund to eligible entities. This provision does not specify grant amounts or eligibility criteria.
Cannabis growers must report planned plant food
Cannabis cultivation facilities must include intended plant food use in operating plans submitted with license applications or renewals. Plans must also describe cultivation practices and intended pesticide use, as already required.
Tighter deadlines and records for elk farms
Domesticated elk facility licenses expire June 30 of the year after issuance, rather than July 1. Renewal applications and fees are due June 30; missing that deadline requires a new license. Each elk must have both an electronic tag and a unique visual tag; a USDA tag no longer substitutes. Facilities must keep specified animal records for the animal's life plus five years, up from two years. These include purchase, acquisition, distribution, production, antler-harvesting, and health-certificate records.
Farm environmental stewardship certification ends
The Utah Agriculture Certificate of Environmental Stewardship Program ended on May 7, 2025. Farmers and other participants can no longer obtain its certificate. The law also removes the state agriculture department's duty to administer the program.
Plant food businesses face broader oversight
The Utah Plant Food Act covers fertilizers, soil and plant amendments, beneficial substances, biostimulants, inoculants, and their combinations. Each brand and grade generally needs registration before distribution, except an already-registered product with an identical label. Blenders following customer specifications supplied before mixing can skip grade registration, but need a business license, annual fee, and product labels. Registrations and licenses expire December 31 of the year issued; annual tonnage reports are also due December 31. The final distributor generally reports tonnage and pays its fee when supplying a consumer or non-registrant, unless an earlier distributor does so.
Conservation account gains direct spending authority
The Agriculture Conservation Easement Account is an expendable special revenue fund. The state agriculture department must use its money to monitor and enforce conservation easements the department holds. Spending no longer requires a legislative appropriation. The department cannot receive or spend account donations to acquire easements.
Water revenue shifts from farm loan fund
The law removes designated sales-tax receipts from the Agriculture Resource Development Fund's listed revenue sources. For fiscal years beginning on or after July 1, 2003, a 3% share of referenced tax revenue goes instead to the Division of Conservation for water programs. The fund retains appropriations, loan repayments, specified reimbursements, other available money, and interest as listed sources. The agriculture department needs an annual budget approved by the Conservation Commission before using fund money to administer the fund or loans. The provisions do not quantify the revenue shifted.
Clearer plant food labels, stricter sales rules
Soil amendments and beneficial substances need labels showing purpose, use directions, warnings, registrant or manufacturer details, and net weight or volume. Labels must list non-nutrient ingredients responsible for intended effects in the required format; bulk buyers get this information at delivery. Fertilizer derivation statements cannot use abbreviations, brand names, trademarks, or trade names. Sellers cannot distribute adulterated plant food or products with official test deficiencies beyond allowed amounts. Utah can inspect, sample, and test products, order sales or use stopped or products removed, and seek seizure or condemnation.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsor
Carl R. Albrecht
Republican • House
Cosponsors
Don L. Ipson
Republican • Senate
Roll Call Votes
Senate vote • 2/20/2025
Senate/ passed 3rd reading
Yes: 26 • No: 0
Senate vote • 2/19/2025
Senate/ passed 2nd reading
Yes: 24 • No: 0
Senate vote • 2/19/2025
Senate/ circled
Yes: 0 • No: 0
Senate vote • 2/19/2025
Senate/ uncircled
Yes: 0 • No: 0
Senate vote • 2/18/2025
Senate Comm - Favorable Recommendation
Yes: 4 • No: 0
House vote • 2/6/2025
House/ passed 3rd reading
Yes: 72 • No: 0
House vote • 2/6/2025
House/ substituted
Yes: 0 • No: 0
House vote • 1/28/2025
House Comm - Favorable Recommendation
Yes: 12 • No: 0
Senate vote • Unknown
Senate/ circled
Yes: 0 • No: 0
House vote • Unknown
House/ substituted
Yes: 0 • No: 0
Senate vote • Unknown
Senate/ uncircled
Yes: 0 • No: 0
Actions Timeline
Governor Signed
3/24/2025House/ to Governor
3/12/2025HouseHouse/ received enrolled bill from Printing
3/12/2025HouseHouse/ enrolled bill to Printing
3/7/2025HouseEnrolled Bill Returned to House or Senate
3/7/2025Draft of Enrolled Bill Prepared
2/24/2025Bill Received from House for Enrolling
2/24/2025House/ signed by Speaker/ sent for enrolling
2/21/2025HouseHouse/ received from Senate
2/21/2025HouseSenate/ to House
2/20/2025SenateSenate/ signed by President/ returned to House
2/20/2025SenateSenate/ passed 3rd reading
2/20/2025SenateSenate/ 3rd reading
2/20/2025SenateSenate/ passed 2nd reading
2/19/2025SenateSenate/ uncircled
2/19/2025SenateSenate/ circled
2/19/2025SenateSenate/ 2nd reading
2/19/2025SenateSenate/ placed on 2nd Reading Calendar
2/18/2025SenateSenate/ committee report favorable
2/18/2025SenateSenate Comm - Favorable Recommendation
2/18/2025SenateSenate/ to standing committee
2/13/2025SenateSenate/ 1st reading (Introduced)
2/7/2025SenateSenate/ received from House
2/6/2025SenateHouse/ to Senate
2/6/2025HouseHouse/ passed 3rd reading
2/6/2025House
Bill Text
Enrolled
3/7/2025
Substitute #1
2/5/2025
Introduced
1/16/2025