SB3380 Summary

• Establishes a Farmers' Market Task Force with at least 24 members to develop uniform statewide administrative regulations for farmers' markets, with first report due by December 31, 2012.

• Prohibits local public health departments from creating sanitation guidelines for farmers' markets that are more stringent than the Department of Public Health's Technical Information Bulletin #30, though permits and licensing requirements remain allowed if fees and standards are reasonable.

• Creates a framework for food product sampling at farmers' markets without permits if vendors meet specific sanitation, hand-washing, and storage requirements, and have Department-approved food handling licenses.

• Requires vendors selling specialty crops and raw agricultural commodities at farmers' markets to disclose the physical location of the farm where products were grown or produced on placards, labels, or packing slips.

• Allows cottage food operations to produce non-potentially hazardous foods (baked goods, jams, jellies, dried herbs) for sale at farmers' markets with registration requirements but no fees, though State-certified local health departments may charge up to $25 for registration and inspections.