HB 1296 Mississippi House · 2025 Regular Session

Plant biostimulants; revise terminology under MS Plant and Soil Amendment Law in order to comply with rules adopted by AAPFCO.

HB 1296 revises Mississippi's Plant and Soil Amendment Law to replace the term "amending ingredient" with "beneficial substance" and formally define "plant biostimulant" to align with standards set by the Association of American Plant Food Control Officials (AAPFCO). The bill requires that labels for soil amendments and plant biostimulants display specific information, including brand, net weight, purpose statement, usage directions, and ingredient composition. This change directly affects manufacturers and sellers of these agricultural products in Mississippi, who must update their labeling to meet the new requirements. The legislation ensures consistency with industry guidelines without altering the underlying regulatory framework for these products.

Bill status died 4 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Feb 2025

House Passage

Jan 2025

Senate Passage

Mar 2025

Governor

Introduced Jan 30, 2025 Last action Mar 14, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Committee Substitute → Current version · 1 edit

MINOR

The bill's title was updated from 'Committee Substitute' to 'As Passed the House', indicating the legislation has moved forward in the legislative process. This change reflects the bill's progression through the House committee stage, where amendments were likely made and finalized before moving to the next stage of review.

TECHNICAL

Updated the bill version designation from 'Committee Substitute' to 'As Passed the House' to reflect its current legislative status.

As Introduced → Committee Substitute · 8 edits

MODERATE

This bill updates Mississippi's Plant and Soil Amendment Law by replacing the term 'amending ingredient' with 'beneficial substance' and adding a new definition for 'plant biostimulant.' It also authorizes state officials to adopt labeling standards from the Association of American Plant Food Control Officials and requires specific information on product labels and bulk shipments.

Scope change

The bill expands regulatory definitions to include plant biostimulants and aligns terminology with industry standards, while adding new requirements for product labeling and ingredient verification.

DEFINITION

Replaced 'amending ingredient' with 'beneficial substance' as the primary term throughout the statute, with 'beneficial substance' now including plant biostimulants, soil amendments, and plant amendments.

Added a new definition for 'plant biostimulant' describing substances that support plant nutrition processes independently of nutrient content and improve nutrient availability, stress tolerance, or growth.

REQUIREMENT

Authorized the Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce and State Chemist to adopt rules codifying recommended beneficial substance labels from the Association of American Plant Food Control Officials.

Required specific information on product labels and bulk shipments including brand, net weight/volume, guarantor information, purpose statement, directions for use, and ingredient composition.

Added requirement that no amending ingredient may be listed or guaranteed on labels without commissioner permission, with supportive data substantiating value and usefulness.

Added provision allowing labeling by volume rather than weight for liquid products and payment of inspection fees based on calculated weight equivalent.

ENFORCEMENT

Added provisions requiring proof of claims for soil and plant amendments, allowing officials to rely on controlled scientific experiments and Mississippi-specific research data.

TIMELINE

Established effective date of July 1, 2025 for the act.

Floor votes · Senate Mar 12, 2025 · House Jan 29, 2025

How they voted

51–0

Passed

Total votes 51

Mar 12, 2025

D Democratic16

16 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican35

35 Yea

100% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Mar 12, 2025

Upper · Passed

Passed

upper

Feb 27, 2025

Upper · Passed

Title Suff Do Pass

upper

Feb 17, 2025

Committee

Referred To Agriculture

upper

Jan 30, 2025

Introduced

Transmitted To Senate

lower

Jan 29, 2025

Lower · Passed

Passed

lower

Jan 28, 2025

Lower · Passed

Title Suff Do Pass Comm Sub

lower

Jan 20, 2025

Committee

Referred To Agriculture

lower

1 primary · 5 co-sponsors