Governor Kevin Stitt signed a bill that would localize the promulgation of poultry feeding rules through the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture and Forestry (ODAFF).

House Bill 2983, authored by Rep. David Hardin, R-Stilwell, puts rulemaking power into the hands of ODAFF rather than the United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA NRCS), a federal agency.

“We need Oklahoma solutions for Oklahoma issues, plain and simple,” Hardin said. “This bill allows ODAFF to create and apply the rules that poultry farmers must follow, and will bring the cost of nutrient management plans back to a reasonable rate for Oklahoma farmers.”

Specifically, HB 2983 modifies the best management practices for poultry feeding operations by requiring poultry waste applicators to meet standards set by administrative rules, rather than standards set by the USDA NRCS, and directs the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry to promulgate the emergency rules.

HB 2983 had an emergency clause attached to it and went into effect immediately upon the governor’s signature.