HB 1640 Summary

• Designates the second week of March annually as "Master Gardeners Week" in Missouri to recognize contributions to gardening, horticulture, and the environment.

• Extends tax credits for alternative fuel vehicle refueling property and electric vehicle recharging property through 2018, increases eligibility to include private citizens with a $1,500 maximum credit, and reduces cumulative annual credit cap to $1 million.

• Establishes the Missouri Dairy Industry Revitalization Fund to support dairy producers through margin insurance premium assistance (70% reimbursement up to 34 cents per hundredweight), scholarships for agriculture students ($5,000 for up to 80 students annually), and dairy industry research.

• Creates sales tax exemptions for farm products sold at farmers' markets and exempts certain weight restrictions for vehicles hauling livestock and agricultural products on non-interstate highways (up to 85,500 pounds with annual $25 permit fee).

• Expands liability protections for livestock activities and facilities similar to existing equine activity protections, and modifies foreign agricultural land ownership restrictions to require submission for review only when no completed IRS Form W-9 is provided.