General Assembly |
File No. 7 |
February Session, 2018 |
Senate, March 12, 2018
The Committee on Environment reported through SEN. KENNEDY of the 12th Dist. and SEN. MINER of the 30th Dist., Chairpersons of the Committee on the part of the Senate, that the bill ought to pass.
AN ACT CONCERNING THE SALE OF "CONNECTICUT GROWN" PRODUCTS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 22-38d of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2018):
(a) There is established, within the Department of Agriculture, a farm to school program. In consultation with the Department of Education, the program shall facilitate and promote the sale of Connecticut-grown farm products by farms to school districts, individual schools and other educational institutions under the jurisdiction of the Department of Education. Through the farm to school program, the Department of Agriculture shall (1) encourage and solicit Connecticut farmers to sell their products to such districts, schools and other educational institutions, (2) develop and regularly update a database of farmers interested in selling their products to Connecticut schools, including the types and amounts of products the farmers want to sell and the time periods during which the farmers want to sell, (3) in consultation with the Department of Education, facilitate purchases from local farmers by such interested districts, schools and other educational institutions, provided any person who sells any farm product as Connecticut-grown to such a district, school or educational institution shall offer proof to such district, school or educational institution that such farm product was produced in Connecticut, including, but not limited to, the name of the person or business that produced the farm product and the name and address of the farm where such farm product was produced, and (4) provide outreach and guidance to farmers concerning the value of and procedure for selling their products to such interested districts, schools and other educational institutions.
(b) The Department of Education, in consultation with the Department of Agriculture, school food service directors and interested farming organizations, shall (1) establish a week-long promotional event, to be known as Connecticut-Grown for Connecticut Kids Week, in late September or early October each year, that will promote Connecticut agriculture and foods to children through school meal and classroom programs, at farms, farmers' markets and other locations in the community, (2) encourage and solicit school districts, individual schools and other educational institutions under its jurisdiction to purchase Connecticut-grown farm products, (3) provide outreach, guidance and training to districts, parent and teacher organizations, schools and school food service directors concerning the value of and procedure for purchasing and incorporating into their regular menus Connecticut-grown farm products, (4) in consultation with the Department of Agriculture, arrange for local, regional and state-wide events where potential purchasers and farmers can interact, and (5) arrange for interaction between students and farmers, including field trips to farms and in-school presentations by farmers.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections: | ||
Section 1 |
October 1, 2018 |
22-38d |
ENV |
Joint Favorable |
The following Fiscal Impact Statement and Bill Analysis are prepared for the benefit of the members of the General Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and explanation and do not represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber thereof for any purpose. In general, fiscal impacts are based upon a variety of informational sources, including the analyst's professional knowledge. Whenever applicable, agency data is consulted as part of the analysis, however final products do not necessarily reflect an assessment from any specific department.
OFA Fiscal Note
Explanation
The bill requires any person selling Connecticut grown farm products to schools and education facilities to provide proof that the product was produced in state.
Since the bill does not set fines for violations, there is no fiscal impact.
The Out Years
OLR Bill Analysis
AN ACT CONCERNING THE SALE OF "CONNECTICUT GROWN" PRODUCTS.
This bill requires anyone who sells a Connecticut-grown farm product through the Connecticut farm-to-school program to offer proof to the school district, school, or educational institution buying the product that it was produced in Connecticut. The proof must, at a minimum, include the name of the person or business that produced the product and the name and address of the farm where it was produced. The bill does not specify a penalty for failing to disclose this information.
EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2018
BACKGROUND
Connecticut Farm-to-School Program
The Connecticut farm-to-school program encourages the use of Connecticut-grown farm products in school cafeterias. State law requires the Department of Agriculture, in consultation with the state Department of Education (SDE), to administer the program in a way that promotes and facilitates the sale of Connecticut-grown farm products by farms to school districts, individual schools, and other educational institutions under SDE's jurisdiction (CGS § 22-38d).
COMMITTEE ACTION
Environment Committee
Joint Favorable
Yea |
30 |
Nay |
0 |
(02/28/2018) |