An Act to amend and reenact § 15.2-4304 of the Code of Virginia, relating to agricultural and forestal districts advisory committee; membership.
HB 292 amends Virginia law governing agricultural and forestal districts advisory committees. Under current law, when a locality receives its first application for an agricultural and forestal district, the local governing body must create an advisory committee made up of specified landowners, a revenue or property assessment official, and a member of the governing body. The bill keeps that basic structure but clarifies and updates the membership language, including the option to appoint the commissioner of revenue, the chief property assessment officer, or a representative from that office.
The bill also preserves the authority of a local governing body to use the planning commission in place of a separate advisory committee, so long as the planning commission includes at least four landowners engaged in agricultural or forestal production. The committee’s role remains advisory: it assists with creating, reviewing, modifying, continuing, or terminating districts and provides expert advice on farming, forestry, and related resources within the locality.
HB 292 makes a targeted amendment to § 15.2-4304 of the Code of Virginia, affecting how local governments staff agricultural and forestal districts advisory committees. It does not change the underlying district program, but it refines committee membership requirements and preserves the alternative of using the planning commission when its membership meets the statutory landowner threshold. The practical effect is on local governing bodies, planning commissions, landowners, and local tax/property assessment officials involved in district administration.
The available record shows no committee transcript, recorded votes, or other debate, and the bill was enacted as Chapter 101. Based on the absence of recorded opposition and its final passage, the overall sentiment appears neutral to favorable, with the measure functioning as a technical or administrative update rather than a controversial policy change.
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials. Because the bill concerns committee composition and local administrative procedure, any potential concerns would likely center on local control, the representation of agricultural and forestal interests, or the role of planning commissions versus separate advisory committees. However, no speaker, vote, or amendment history is available here to show active disagreement.