Arizona needs to review the way it regulates agriculture to help guarantee the continued success of one of the state's most important industries, a lawmaker contends.

Rep. Russell L. Jones, R-Yuma, has authored legislation that would create a committee of lawmakers, agriculture producers and representatives of state agencies and the governor's office. The group would study regulations, develop legislation and make recommendations for better coordination among agencies dealing with agriculture.

Jones said it's been almost a decade since the last review of regulations affecting agriculture.

"The big picture reason for the bill is to ultimately boost the economy by encouraging more investment in agriculture as an industry," Jones said.

The House gave preliminary approval Tuesday to Jones' bill, HB 2277, setting up a final vote that would forward the legislation to the Senate.

Jones said the committee would benefit agriculture and Arizona's economy by reducing requirements that aren't really needed and helping maintain requirements, such as those involving food safety, that should be preserved even in tough budget times.

Jones said the bill stems in part from budget sweeps that he said cut into funds the state Department of Agriculture uses to regulate food safety.

"The whole idea is to see if can we shrink the size of government and still deliver the same level of service or greater by modifying the regulatory environment that an agency works within," he said.

Agriculture is a $9.2 billion industry in the state, according to the Arizona Farm Bureau.

Bas Aja, director of government relations for the Arizona Cattlemen's Association, said his group supports the bill because the committee would give agriculture producers a place to recommend adding, revising or eliminating specific regulations.

The Department of Agriculture doesn't take stands on pending legislation, said Laura Oxley, a spokeswoman.

Jones' bill would require committee members, who wouldn't be paid, to meet at least once a year and submit annual reports on findings and recommendations to the governor and leaders of each house of the Legislature.

The group would be required to evaluate administrative regulation of agriculture from the perspectives of purpose, effectiveness, scientific basis, expense to agriculture operations and redundancy with federal regulation.

Another mandate: studying whether to designate a single state agency, the Department of Agriculture, to regulate food and animal production.

Besides lawmakers, industry leaders and a representative of the governor's office, the committee would include the directors of the departments of agriculture, environmental quality and water resources or representatives designated by the directors.

Jones said it's important to get the governor's office involved in the discussion.

"Standing alone, the Department of Agriculture has had their budget cut; they need a champion," he said.