Bill Text: CT SB00106 | 2018 | General Assembly | Chaptered
Bill Title: An Act Concerning The Sale Of "connecticut Grown" Products And Authorizing Certain Aquaculture Site Designations For The Development Of An Environmental Education Curriculum.
Spectrum: Committee Bill
Status: (Passed) 2018-06-04 - Signed by the Governor [SB00106 Detail]
Download: Connecticut-2018-SB00106-Chaptered.html
AN ACT CONCERNING THE SALE OF "CONNECTICUT GROWN" PRODUCTS AND AUTHORIZING CERTAIN AQUACULTURE SITE DESIGNATIONS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CURRICULUM.
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 Section 22-38d of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2018):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.
Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective from passage) Notwithstanding any provision of the general statutes, the Commissioner of Agriculture may designate one or more suitable shellfish parcels for the use of one or more nonprofit education or conservation organizations for the purpose of developing an aquaculture site for an environmental education curriculum. Any such parcel may not be designated to or shared with another person or entity and may not be more than one-half acre in total area.