Relating to the powers and duties of the department of agriculture and land stewardship, by changing the name of the weather bureau, modifying reporting requirements regarding agricultural liming material, modifying provisions applicable to demonstration projects involving alternative fuels, transferring certain Code sections, providing for the use of certain appropriated moneys for surface water quality, and eliminating certain watershed demonstration pilot projects

The bill amends a number of provisions in various Code chapters providing for the issuance of licenses to manufacturers or distributors of commercial feed, manufacturers of fertilizers and soil conditioners, and distributors of bulk dry animal nutrient products. In the case of licenses for commercial feed and of fertilizers and soil conditioners, a license remains valid for a two-year period. For commercial feed, the license would expire on July of each odd-numbered year and for fertilizers and soil conditioners, the license would expire on July of an even-numbered year. In the case of bulk dry animal nutrient products, the license would for be for a two-year rather than one-year period expiring on July of each even-numbered year. The license fee would increase from $10 to $20 for each place of distribution. AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION —— AGRICULTURAL LIMING MATERIALS —— REPORTS. The bill provides that DALS may but is no longer required to issue a report regarding the manufacture of agricultural liming material certified by the agency. Currently, the report must be issued each three months. WEIGHTS AND MEASURES —— MOTOR VEHICLE FUEL. The bill provides that DALS rather than DNR may award demonstration grants to persons who purchase motor vehicles operated using alternative fuels. WEIGHTS AND MEASURES —— COMMERCIAL WEIGHING AND MEASURING DEVICES —— RELOCATION., definitional section) relating to the regulation of commercial weighing and measuring devices for purposes of enhancing readability. WATER QUALITY —— GROUNDWATER PROTECTION FUND. The bill amends a provision which allocates moneys to DALS from the agriculture management account of the groundwater protection fund. It authorizes DALS to use any of those moneys to support programs, projects, and activities related to improving the quality of surface water or groundwater. WATER QUALITY —— WATERSHED PLANNING. The bill eliminates a provision that authorizes DALS and DNR to establish one or more watershed demonstration projects.