Directs State Agriculture Development Committee to adopt agricultural management practice for housing resident farm employees on commercial farms, and establishes such housing as eligible for "Right to Farm" protection.
What changed between versions
The definition of 'resident farm employee' now excludes not only full-time year-round equine-related farm employees but also the owner of the farm and any lineal descendant of the owner, narrowing who qualifies for housing protections.
Section 3(a) now requires that the agricultural management practice provide that the amount of resident farm employee housing shall correlate to the amount of labor needed on the farm, preventing excessive housing unrelated to actual workforce needs.
Section 3(b) now requires housing construction to also comply with the Seasonal Farm Labor Act (P.L.1945, c.71) and the federal Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act (29 U.S.C. s.1801 et seq.), in addition to the State Uniform Construction Code.
Section 3(d) now states that a resident farm employee shall not be charged rent to live in resident farm employee housing, making the housing effectively free for qualifying employees.
Added Assemblyman Alex Sauickie (District 12) and Assemblyman William W. Spearman (District 5) as sponsors, and added Assemblywoman Speight as a co-sponsor, broadening legislative support for the bill.
