Rep. Kimmi Lewis

Register of historic places - approval of multiple property documentation form - state historical society - requirement that applicant obtain consent of affected landowners. Prior to taking any action to approve a multiple property documentation form (form) or to request the approval of the keeper of the national register of historic places of an executed form, the act requires the state historical society to require the applicant to obtain the consent, evidenced by a signature, of each owner of the land and property included within the region of lands described in the form who provided any information or granted access to their land or property.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More

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The bill states that food is misbranded as "meat" or a cut of meat if it does not come from animals and that lab-grown meat is misbranded as "meat" or a cut of meat unless these terms are not modified by "lab-grown" or "artificially cultured".(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) Read More

The bill requires a county sheriff's office to investigate an alleged violation of the unlawful ownership of a dangerous dog crime or enforce the provisions of that statute. If a victim of that crime believes the county sheriff's office is not investigating the crime or enforcing the statute, the victim can file an affidavit with a judge having jurisdiction over the alleged crime. The judge then must require the county sheriff to appear to explain the refusal. If the judge finds that the county sheriff's refusal was arbitrary or capricious and without reasonable excuse, the judge shall order: The county sheriff's office to investigate the alleged offense or enforce the law; or The district attorney's office with jurisdiction over the crime to investigate the alleged offense or enforce the law. If a county sheriff's office refuses to comply with an order to investigate or enforce the law, the court shall order the county sheriff to reimburse the county for all general fund appropriations received in the last fiscal year. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) Read More

Under current law, library district trustees are appointed directly by a committee appointed by the legislative bodies of the governmental units that established the library district. The bill allows the registered voters within a library district's service area to determine by vote whether their library district trustees should be elected. The bill also sets out how library district trustees would be elected, the length of their terms, and how they could be removed. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) Read More

A conservation easement is an agreement in which a property owner agrees to limit the use of his or her land in perpetuity in order to protect one or more specified conservation purposes. The instruments creating the conservation easement are recorded in the public records affecting the ownership of the property. The conservation easement is held by a third party, which monitors the use of the land and ensures that the terms of the agreement are upheld. Prior to creating a conservation easement, the bill requires the property owner to sign a disclosure form acknowledging certain specified consequences and risks of creating the easement on his or her land. The bill requires the commissioner of agriculture to work with local government officials to create a database of conservation easements in the state. The database includes specified information about the easements and a corresponding map displaying each easement in the state relative to county boundaries. Local government officials and the commissioner of agriculture are authorized to enter into contracts to assist in gathering information for the database. The bill specifies the sources of information that may be used to create the database. The commissioner of agriculture is required to annually update the information in the database and make the information and corresponding map available to the public at no charge on the department of agriculture's website. When a conservation easement agreement, amendment, or transfer is recorded with a county clerk and recorder, the bill requires a complete copy of the agreement, amendment, or transfer to be submitted to the commissioner of agriculture and the county tax assessor of the county in which the easement is located. The commissioner of agriculture is required to create a tracking form with specified information for each conservation easement agreement, amendment, or transfer submitted. The tracking forms are made available on the department of agriculture's website and can be used by the commissioner of agriculture to create and maintain the database of conservation easements. If a single property owner acquires both a conservation easement and title to the underlying property, current law allows the conservation easement to be released, terminated, extinguished, or abandoned by a process known as "merger". The bill prohibits a conservation easement from being extinguished by taking fee title to the land to which the conservation easement is attached. For any state income tax credit claimed for a donation of a conservation easement that is disallowed, the bill allows a landowner to elect to either extinguish the conservation easement for which the credit was claimed or receive an equitable relief payment from the state. If a landowner elects to extinguish the conservation easement, the bill requires the department of revenue to reimburse the taxpayer for all reasonable costs incurred by the landowner in establishing the conservation easement donation as well any federal or state income tax liability incurred by the taxpayer. The attorney general is required to assist landowners with executing any documents required to seek a court order to extinguish a conservation easement. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) Read More

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The bill prohibits the regional transportation district from offering new discount fare or incentive programs adopted after the effective date of the bill without prior legislative approval. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.) , Read More

Current law requires motor vehicles having an empty weight of 16,000 or more pounds or a motor vehicle that weighs 26,001 or more pounds fully loaded to clear a port of entry within 5 miles of its route. The bill exempts motor vehicles using trailers primarily used in the transport of agriculture commodities or livestock. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) Read More