2017 -- S 0720 SUBSTITUTE A

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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: Senators Sosnowski, Conley, Coyne, Calkin, and Miller

     Date Introduced: April 06, 2017

     Referred To: Senate Environment & Agriculture

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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

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

     2-1-10. Inspection powers.

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

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

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

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

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

inspecting farm products.

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

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

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

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

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

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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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

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

and vegetables.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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