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HARTFORD—State Rep. Tami Zawistowski on Wednesday supported legislation aimed at helping military veterans launch agriculture-based businesses.
The legislation (H.B. 6375) creates a veterans agriculture program that provides tax incentives. It also requires the Department of Agriculture to work with the departments of Veterans’ Affairs and Labor to provide guidance as well as education and training concerning farming or agricultural operations.
“The world of agriculture is changing rapidly, and it’s steadily claiming a more important role in our state’s economy,” said Zawistowski, a member of the legislature’s Rural Caucus whose district has a rich agricultural history. “For veterans, that means opportunity—it’s a wide open field where these men and women can stake a claim. I think this legislation will put them in a position to launch successful careers.”
The program would be available to veterans who have never engaged in agricultural production or to those who have been involved in agricultural production for less than two years.
The bill awaits action in the state senate.
