Bill > A5530

Introduced Session

This bill requires the State Board of Agriculture to provide a list of environmentally harmful plants to the Legislature each year. Certain non-native plant species are believed to have detrimental effects on the State's environment, including crowding out native plant species, depleting soil, increasing fire danger, and adversely affecting the migration and lifecycle of pollinators. One important step in mitigating the harmful effects of such plants is to prohibit people from buying them and cultivating them, because farmers and home gardeners often inadvertently facilitate the spread of invasive plant species. This bill would allow the Legislature to remain informed of the latest recommendations from experts on invasive plant species, in order to better serve the public interest. The list of environmentally harmful plants would include information about the life cycle, means of reproduction, geographical distribution, adverse effects on pollinators, and adverse effects on the environment as whole of each plant.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

JoAnn Downey (D)*,  Eric Houghtaling (D)*,  Matthew Milam (D)*,  R. Bruce Land (D), 

Reported out of Assembly Comm. with Amendments, 2nd Reading (on 06/10/2019)

Official Document