Bill Text: NJ A1247 | 2010-2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires retailers to provide consumers with information on origin of raw produce.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-01-12 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee [A1247 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2010-A1247-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
214th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2010 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman LINDA STENDER
District 22 (Middlesex, Somerset and Union)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman Wagner
SYNOPSIS
Requires retailers to provide consumers with information on origin of raw produce.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
An Act concerning information about origin of raw produce 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. A retail food store that sells or offers for sale raw produce in this State shall identify the state of origin of the produce, or the country if the produce is grown outside the United States. The information required by this section shall be provided to consumers in a clear and conspicuous manner and shall be displayed on or near the produce item. If the produce is already individually labeled as to its origin, the retail food store shall not be required to provide any additional information to comply with this section. As used in this section, "retail food store" means a place where food is sold for consumption off the premises.
b. A proprietor of a retail food store who violates the provisions of this section shall be subject to a penalty of not less than $50 or more than $100 for the first offense, and not less than $250 or more than $500 for the second or any subsequent offense, to be sued for and recovered in a civil action in a summary proceeding pursuant to the "Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999," P.L.1999, c.274 (C.2A:58-10 et seq.).
2. The Department of Agriculture, in accordance with the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), may adopt rules and regulations as may be necessary to effectuate the purposes of this act.
3. This act shall take effect on the 180th day following enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill would require retail food stores to provide information to consumers about the origins of raw produce sold at the store. Although some produce already contains information regarding its origin, this bill would enable consumers in this State to make educated decisions on the origins of all produce that they buy in this State, and to exercise their preferences accordingly. Recent incidents of contaminated produce that sickened more than 200 people and killed three people called into question the lack of information as to the origin of some produce.
The bill establishes a penalty of not less than $50 or more than $100 for the first offense, and not less than $250 or more than $500 for the second or any subsequent offense for failure to comply with the provisions of this bill.
