Summary: Native plant species; state agencies. Directsthe Secretaries of Natural and Historic Resources, Agriculture andForestry, and Administration to coordinate the development of strategicactions for state agencies to take to prioritize the use of nativeplant species on state properties.

Summary: Dissemination of consumer information about noxious weeds and invasive plants. Requires the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services to develop, by January 1, 2023, a brochure for use by retail establishments that sell plants that explains the value of native plants and the harm of noxious weeds and other invasive plants.

Summary: County or city public animal shelters; returnof animals after expiration of stray hold period. Authorizesan animal shelter to return a cat to the place from which it wastaken after the expiration of the stray hold period. Any such catshall be vaccinated for rabies, spayed or neutered, and eartipped.

Summary: Dangerous and vicious dogs; civil liability; knowledge of propensity not required. Provides that a dog ownermay be civilly liable for a bite or attack by his dog regardlessof whether he knew or should have known of such dog's propensityfor vicious, dangerous, or otherwise aggressive behavior.

Summary: Noxious weeds. Amends the definition of"noxious weeds" to exclude plants that are commercially significant,directs the Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services (the Board)to implement a phase out period when a new plant is listed as a noxiousweed, directs the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Servicesto provide signs to nurseries and retail plant outlets listing invasiveplants sold in the Commonwealth, and authorizes the Board to adoptregulations for permits required to move noxious weeds, or a partthereof, into or within the Commonwealth. The bill also directs the Department of Conservation and Recreation to update its invasivespecies list by January 1, 2024, and every four years thereafter.

Summary: Packaging Stewardship Program and Fund; StewardshipAdvisory Committee; established. Establishes the Packaging StewardshipProgram, administered by the Department of Environmental Quality. Under the Program, a producer that sells products with packagingmaterials in the Commonwealth pays a fee to the Department based upon the amount of packaging used and whether or not it is easilyrecyclable. A producer may establish an alternative collection programto offset some or all of the fees. The fees are paid into the Packaging Stewardship Fund, established in the bill, and are used to reimburseparticipating localities for expenses related to recycling, investin recycling infrastructure and education, and pay administrativecosts related to the Program. The bill authorizes the Departmentto contract with a third party to administer the Program. The billalso establishes a Stewardship Advisory Committee, with 23 membersappointed by the Director of the Department, to oversee implementationof the Program.

Summary: Packaging Stewardship Program and Fund; established.Establishes the Packaging Stewardship Program (the Program), administeredby the Department of Environmental Quality. Under the Program, aproducer that sells products with packaging materials in the Commonwealthpays a fee to the Department based upon the amount of packaging used and whether or not it is easily recyclable. A producer may establishan alternative collection program to offset some or all of the fees.The fees are paid into the Packaging Stewardship Fund, establishedin the bill, and are used to reimburse participating localities for expenses related to recycling, invest in recycling infrastructureand education, and pay administrative costs related to the Program.The bill authorizes the Department to contract with a third partyto administer the Program.

Summary: Beverage container deposit and redemption program;established; civil and criminal penalties. Establishes a beveragecontainer deposit, refund, and redemption program involving distributors,retailers, and consumers. The program would be run by a Producer Responsibility Organization under the Department of Environmental Quality. The billcreates an advisory committee, requires reporting, and imposes civiland criminal penalties for violation.

Summary: Slaughter and meat-processing facilities. Establishes that it is the policy of the General Assembly to encourage, expand, and develop slaughter and meat-processing facilities through strategic planning and financial incentive programs. The bill directs the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to develop a five-year strategic plan to increase total combined throughput capacity of slaughter and meat-processing facilities. This bill is identical to SB 726.

Summary: Fertilizer; digestate. Clarifies that a regulated product, for the purposes of fertilizer law, includes digestate. Digestate is defined in the bill as a biologically stable material derived from the process of anaerobic digestion. The bill also includes digestate in fertilizer labeling requirements. This bill is identical to SB 248.

Summary: Food and drink law; permitting requirements. Requires any food manufacturer, food storage warehouse, and retail food establishment to obtain a permit from the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services prior to operating. Any such entity issued a permit is exempt from any other license, permit, or inspection required for the sale, preparation, or handling of food. The bill requires the Commissioner to notify such entities of the reason for denial of a permit and requires that any denial, suspension, or revocation of a permit be carried out in accordance with the Administrative Process Act. The provisions of the bill do not become effective until January 1, 2023, for those localities that currently have a local food inspection or permitting ordinance in place.

Summary: Packaging Stewardship Program and Fund; established.Establishes the Packaging Stewardship Program (the Program), administeredby the Department of Environmental Quality. Under the Program, aproducer that sells products with packaging materials in the Commonwealthpays a fee to the Department based upon the amount of packaging used and whether or not it is easily recyclable. A producer may establishan alternative collection program to offset some or all of the fees.The fees are paid into the Packaging Stewardship Fund, establishedin the bill, and are used to reimburse participating localities for expenses related to recycling, invest in recycling infrastructureand education, and pay administrative costs related to the Program.The bill authorizes the Department to contract with a third partyto administer the Program.

Summary: Rabies vaccination; titer test; certification.Directs the Board of Health to develop, by regulation, an exemptionto the rabies vaccination requirement for animals if a licensed veterinariancertifies in writing that the vaccine would endanger the animal basedon an underlying medical factor and a titer test indicates a sufficientlevel of immunity to rabies. The bill provides that such certification is valid for a period of one year and serves as proof of vaccination.

Summary: Paraquat information. Requires the Department of Health to develop an information sheet regarding the public health risks of the pesticide known as paraquat and make the sheet available to download from its website. The bill requires the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to require that employers with employees licensed to apply paraquat provide a copy of the information sheet to each licensee, keep records concerning licensees, and update and annually report data regarding the use of paraquat to the Department of Health.