Jun. 19, 2019
HARRISBURG – The state House this week unanimously approved legislation authored by Rep. Clint Owlett (R-Tioga/Bradford/Potter) to provide financial support to the state’s dairy industry.
“It’s no secret that Pennsylvania’s dairy industry is struggling,” said Owlett. “One way in which we can help support the industry is with the creation of the Dairy Investment Program as outlined in my House Bill 1590. This would be a program dedicated solely to the prosperity of the dairy industry here in the Commonwealth.”
Owlett’s Dairy Investment Program would be created under the Commonwealth Financing Authority (CFA). This fiscal year, the CFA was allocated $5 million from the First Industries Fund to issue grants to support the state’s dairy industry under guidelines the CFA adopted.
House Bill 1590 would statutorily provide parameters for the CFA to evaluate and approve these grants, and would include consultation with the Department of Agriculture to make sure the funding is targeted to the most appropriate projects that would support the dairy industry.
To view Owlett’s video comments on the bill, go here.
House Bill 1590 now goes to the Senate for consideration.
As a member of the House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, Owlett has also recently supported passage of legislation that would ensure a quick state-level response to threats such as invasive species or disease; establish a Pennsylvania Agricultural Business Development Center to help farmers create a business plan, transition plan or succession plan; enhance youth exposure to opportunities in the agriculture industry; boost enrollment in the veteran farmer Homegrown by Heroes program; and provide specialty crop block grants. He also supported the passage of a state House resolution to support congressional legislation to offer whole milk in schools.
“I grew up on a dairy farm and am passionate about helping our farmers and the agriculture community as a whole succeed and prosper,” said Owlett. “This is just the start of my work in this area and I look forward to where we go from here on this issue.”
Representative Clint Owlett
68th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Tricia Lehman
717.772.9840
tlehman@pahousegop.com
RepOwlett.com /
Facebook.com/RepOwlett
Rep. Clint Owlett (R-Tioga/Bradford/Potter) participated in a rally at the state Capitol to support the state’s dairy industry a day prior to House passage of his bill to create the Dairy Investment Program.