2017 -- H 6345

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LC002897

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2017

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY -- AGRICULTURAL FUNCTIONS OF

THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Ruggiero, Casimiro, Donovan, Regunberg, and
Marszalkowski

     Date Introduced: June 15, 2017

     Referred To: House Environment and Natural Resources

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 2-1-10 of the General Laws in Chapter 2-1 entitled "Agricultural

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Functions of Department of Environmental Management" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     2-1-10. Inspection powers.

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     (a) For the purpose of conducting inspections, the director of environmental management

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and the director of health, or any of his or her agents or deputies, have authority to enter, at any

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reasonable time, any building, storehouse, warehouse, cold-storage plant, packing house,

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stockyard, railroad yard, railroad car, or any other building or place where farm products are

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produced, kept, stored, or offered for sale, or to enter upon any farm land for the purpose of

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inspecting farm products.

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     (b) The director of the department of environmental management, through the division

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agriculture, shall continue to enforce the commercial growers of fruits and vegetables voluntary

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food safety program developed by the Food and Drug Administration and the United States

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Department of Agriculture known as Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), and shall enforce the

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Food Safety Modernization Act as it pertains to commercial growers of fruits and vegetables.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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LC002897

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY -- AGRICULTURAL FUNCTIONS OF

THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

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     This act would authorize the director of the department of environmental management to

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enforce the federal Food Safety Modernization Act as it pertains to commercial growers of fruits

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and vegetables.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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LC002897

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