Jun. 27, 2019
HARRISBURG – The Senate on Wednesday unanimously approved legislation by Rep. Kate Klunk (R-Hanover) to provide farmers with more freedom over property they opted to preserve for generations to come.
House Bill 370 now goes to the governor for his signature. The bill is part of a package of bills to help Pennsylvania’s agriculture industry grow and thrive.
“Preserving precious farmland is a noble undertaking and is an important aspect to ensure Pennsylvania’s rich farming tradition continues for decades to come,” Klunk said. “My House Bill 370 aids farmers who decide to preserve their land by giving them an additional option of how their land can be used.”
Under current law, farmers can subdivide a section of land from a preserved property to construct a home. However, they are not permitted to subdivide a portion of the property on which a home already exists. Klunk’s legislation would allow farmers to subdivide already-constructed homes from the preserved property without penalty.
There have been situations where owners of preserved farms wanted to subdivide a residence that existed on the land prior to it being preserved but could not because of current law. The changes in Klunk’s bill on how farmlands are preserved would give farmers more options when it comes to how their own land is used.
Klunk’s legislation, along with other bills in the package, now goes to the governor for his approval. It previously received unanimous support in the House.
Representative Kate A. Klunk
169th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Greg Gross
717.260.6374
ggross@pahousegop.com
RepKlunk.com /
Facebook.com/RepKlunk