Adequate Shelter for Livestock Update

Rural VT began the session advocating in collaboration with NOFA VT, and many grazing farmers, to amend the existing “adequate shelter” requirements for livestock such that they would be refined from requiring livestock have access to shade and shelter at all times to requiring them have this access under particular conditions.  After much debate but no action in the House, Senate Agriculture did not decide to implement our proposed language - but they did agree that it was unclear in the existing law whether or not those using accepted animal husbandry practices were subject to the law.  They included language to this affect in a related bill - H.421.  This ensures that grazers will not be subject to violations of animal welfare if their animals do not have access to shade and shelter at all times; though it does not implement any of our suggestions for conditions under which this determination could be made. 

H.421 has now passed the Senate with the amendment and we expect it to pass in the House and he signed into law.