Bill Text: NJ A4377 | 2014-2015 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Directs State Board of Agriculture and Department of Agriculture to develop and adopt certain terms and standards concerning local agricultural and horticultural products.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-05-11 - Reported out of Assembly Committee, 2nd Reading [A4377 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2014-A4377-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman VINCENT MAZZEO
District 2 (Atlantic)
Assemblyman JOHN J. BURZICHELLI
District 3 (Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem)
SYNOPSIS
Directs State Board of Agriculture and Department of Agriculture to develop and adopt certain terms and standards concerning local agricultural and horticultural products.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning local agricultural and horticultural products and supplementing Title 4 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The State Board of Agriculture and the Department of Agriculture, within six months after the date of enactment of this act, shall develop and adopt, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.):
(1) definitions and standards for the use of the terms "local," "locally grown," "locally raised," and "locally produced" that signify when an agricultural or horticultural product has been grown, raised, or produced in New Jersey; and
(2) alternative terms to identify an agricultural or horticultural product locally grown, locally raised, or locally produced in another state that (a) signify the local aspect of the product, but clearly distinguish it from products locally grown, locally raised, or locally produced in New Jersey, and (b) identify its state of origin.
b. As soon as practicable after the date of enactment of this act, but no later than 30 days before the adoption of the definitions, standards, and alternative terms pursuant to subsection a. of this section, the Department of Agriculture shall begin a public information campaign concerning the terms, definitions, standards, and alternative terms with the goal of alerting the public to their implementation and minimizing confusion in the marketplace over the meaning of the terms as they relate to the sale of agricultural or horticultural products in New Jersey. After the adoption of the definitions, standards, and alternative terms pursuant to subsection a. of this section, the Department of Agriculture shall advertise the specific definitions, standards, and alternative terms, their meaning, and how they are being implemented.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill directs the State Board of Agriculture and the Department of Agriculture, within six months after the date of enactment, to develop and adopt definitions and standards for the use of the terms "local," "locally grown," "locally raised," and "locally produced" that signify when an agricultural or horticultural product has been grown, raised, or produced in New Jersey, and alternative terms to identify agricultural or horticultural products locally grown, locally raised, or locally produced in other states that identify its state of origin and signify the local aspect of the product, but clearly distinguish it from products locally grown, locally raised, or locally produced in New Jersey.
The bill also requires the Department of Agriculture to conduct a public information campaign no later than 30 days before the adoption of the definitions, standards, and alternative terms to alert the public to their implementation and minimize confusion in the marketplace over the meaning of the terms.
