General Assembly |
File No. 134 |
February Session, 2006 |
Senate, March 27, 2006
The Committee on Environment reported through SEN. FINCH of the 22nd Dist., Chairperson of the Committee on the part of the Senate, that the bill ought to pass.
AN ACT CONCERNING FARMER'S MARKETS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) For purposes of this section: (1) "Authorized farmers' market" means a farmers' market authorized pursuant to section 22-6g of the general statutes to participate in the WIC program, as defined in said section 22-6g, or a farmers' market authorized as a "Connecticut-grown farmers' market" pursuant to this section; (2) "Connecticut-grown farmers' market" means a cooperative or nonprofit enterprise or association that consistently occupies a given site throughout the agricultural selling season, which site operates principally as a common marketplace for a group of farmers to sell Connecticut-grown fresh produce, as defined in section 22-6g of the general statutes, directly to consumers, that is authorized by the Department of Agriculture as a market where products sold are produced by the participating farmers with the sole intent and purpose of generating a portion of household income, and that does not participate in the WIC program, as defined in section 22-6g of the general statutes; and (3) "farmer's kiosk" means a structure or area located within an authorized farmers' market used by a farm business to conduct sales of Connecticut-grown farm products, as defined in section 22-38 of the general statutes.
(b) A farmer's kiosk at an authorized farmers' market shall be considered an extension of the farmer's business and regulations of Connecticut state agencies relating to the sale of farm products on a farm shall govern the sale of farm products at a farmer's kiosk.
(c) A farmer offering products for sale at an authorized farmers' market shall obtain and maintain any license required to sell such products.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections: | ||
Section 1 |
from passage |
New section |
ENV |
Joint Favorable |
The following fiscal impact statement and bill analysis are prepared for the benefit of members of the General Assembly, solely for the purpose of information, summarization, and explanation, and do not represent the intent of the General Assembly or either House thereof for any purpose:
OFA Fiscal Note
The Out Years
None
OLR Bill Analysis
AN ACT CONCERNING FARMER'S MARKETS.
This bill requires farmers who sell products at an authorized farmers' market kiosk to get and maintain any required license to sell the products and comply with state regulations on the sale of farm products on a farm. By law, farmers must obtain U.S. Department of Agriculture licenses to sell eggs and meat, for example.
An “authorized farmers' market” is one that can participate in the Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) program. It is also a market that (1) principally operates as a common market place at a specified site throughout the season for farmers to sell Connecticut-grown fresh produce, (2) the State Agriculture Department authorizes as a market where farmers sell produce solely to generate household income, and (3) does not participate in the WIC program.
Current law stipulates the mandates and guidelines farmers' markets participating in the WIC program must follow, but does not detail how food sold at these and farmers' markets in general is regulated.
EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon passage
COMMITTEE ACTION
Environment Committee
Joint Favorable
Yea |
25 |
Nay |
0 |
(03/08/2006) |