Establishes State as purchaser of last resort for produce; directs Department of Agriculture to establish program.
This bill creates a state program where New Jersey acts as the "purchaser of last resort" for unsold farm produce. The Department of Agriculture must establish a program to buy unsold produce from farmers at a reasonable market price (determined by the department) and distribute it to food banks, homeless shelters, senior centers, adult day care centers, veterans organizations, and other nonprofits providing meals. Farmers must be unable to sell produce to other buyers in a timely manner to qualify. The program requires coordination with the Department of Health, a dedicated budget request, and rules for participation by both farmers and recipient organizations.
Bill status
in committee
1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2024
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Feb 5, 2024
Last action Feb 5, 2024
Floor votes
How they voted
No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
1
Key actions
0
Committee
0
Feb 5, 2024
Introduced
Introduced in the Assembly, Referred to Assembly Children, Families and Food Security Committee
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Alex Sauickie
RRepublican
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