Bill Text: CT SB00348 | 2015 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: An Act Concerning The Sale Of Farm Products As "connecticut-grown".
Spectrum: Committee Bill
Status: (Passed) 2015-07-10 - Signed by the Governor [SB00348 Detail]
Download: Connecticut-2015-SB00348-Introduced.html
General Assembly |
Raised Bill No. 348 | ||
January Session, 2015 |
LCO No. 1124 | ||
*01124_______ENV* | |||
Referred to Committee on ENVIRONMENT |
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Introduced by: |
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(ENV) |
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AN ACT CONCERNING THE SALE OF FARM PRODUCTS AS "CONNECTICUT-GROWN" AND CERTIFICATION FOR "CONNECTICUT-GROWN MARKETS AND RESTAURANTS".
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 22-38 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2015):
(a) For purposes of this section, "farm products" means products resulting from the practice of agriculture or farming, as defined in section 1-1 and "Connecticut-Grown" means produce and other farm products that have a traceable point of origin within Connecticut.
(b) Only farm products grown or produced in Connecticut shall be advertised or sold in Connecticut as "Connecticut-Grown". Farm products grown or produced in Connecticut may be advertised or sold in Connecticut as "Native", "Native-Grown", "Local" or "Locally-Grown". Farm products grown or produced within a ten-mile radius of the point of sale for such farm products may be advertised or sold in Connecticut as "Native", "Native-Grown", "Local", or "Locally-Grown". Any person, firm, partnership or corporation advertising farm products as "Native", "Native-Grown", "Local", "Locally-Grown", or "Connecticut-Grown" shall be required to furnish written proof within ten days of the sale of such products that such products were grown or produced in Connecticut or within a ten-mile radius of the point of sale, as applicable, if requested to do so by the Commissioner of Agriculture or said commissioner's designee. Any person who violates any provision of this section shall be fined not more than twenty-five dollars for each product label in violation of this section.
(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (b) of this section, any person who sells any farm product sold in this state as "Connecticut-Grown" shall offer such product for sale in the immediate proximity of a sign that is: (1) Readily visible to consumers, (2) not less than eight and one-half inches by eleven inches in size, and (3) in a form that is substantially as follows:
THIS FARM PRODUCT IS CONNECTICUT-GROWN. THIS FARM PRODUCT WAS GROWN OR PRODUCED BY THE FOLLOWING PERSON OR BUSINESS: (INSERT NAME AND ADDRESS OF PERSON OR BUSINESS)
The lettering on any such sign shall be of such a size, font or print that is clearly and easily legible. Such a sign shall accompany each type of farm product that any such person sells as "Connecticut-Grown". Any person who violates the provisions of this subsection shall be fined one hundred dollars for each day that such violation occurs.
Sec. 2. Section 22-38b of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2015):
(a) For the purposes of this section, "grocery or food store" means a business that employs ten or more persons and is engaged in the retail sale of produce, such as fruits and vegetables, meats, poultry, seafood, nuts, dairy products, bakery products or eggs, and "Connecticut-Grown" has the same meaning as provided in section 22-38, as amended by this act.
(b) No grocery or food store shall be eligible for any state grant, financial assistance, state loan or other state-funded incentive under title 32, unless such store is certified as a ["Connecticut Farm Fresh Market"] "Connecticut-Grown Market" by the Commissioner of Agriculture pursuant to subsection (c) of this section.
(c) The Commissioner of Agriculture shall establish and administer a program, within available resources, to certify grocery and food stores as ["Connecticut Farm Fresh Markets"] "Connecticut-Grown Markets". A grocery or food store may be certified by the commissioner as a [Connecticut Farm Fresh] Connecticut-Grown Market if proof is submitted, to the satisfaction of the commissioner, that such store continuously stocks [fifteen] five per cent or more of its shelf space for retail produce and dairy with farm products grown or produced in this state on a year-round basis and stocks twenty-five per cent or more of its shelf space for retail produce with Connecticut-Grown farm products during the months of July, August and September. Such products include, but are not limited to, dairy products, meat, poultry, seafood, nuts, eggs, fruits and vegetables. A grocery or food store certified as a [Connecticut Farm Fresh] Connecticut-Grown Market may use the words ["Connecticut Farm Fresh Market"] "Connecticut-Grown Market" for promotional and marketing activities. No store other than a store certified as a [Connecticut Farm Fresh] Connecticut-Grown Market may use such words for promotional and marketing activities.
(d) The Commissioner of Agriculture shall establish and administer a program, within available resources, to promote restaurants in the state that serve farm products grown or produced in the state. The commissioner shall, upon receiving proof satisfactory to said commissioner that at least twenty per cent of food served by a restaurant consists of farm products grown and produced in the state, certify the restaurant to use the words ["Connecticut Farm Fresh Restaurant"] "Connecticut-Grown Restaurant" for promotional and marketing activities. No restaurant other than one certified as a [Connecticut Farm Fresh] Connecticut-Grown Restaurant may use such words for promotional and marketing activities.
(e) The Commissioner of Agriculture may adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, to carry out the purposes of this section.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections: | ||
Section 1 |
October 1, 2015 |
22-38 |
Sec. 2 |
October 1, 2015 |
22-38b |
Statement of Purpose:
To facilitate the enforcement of restrictions concerning farm products that can be sold as "Connecticut-Grown" and to better enable markets in the state to be certified as "Connecticut-Grown Markets".
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]