CA AB 2786

Title: Mobile farmers’ markets.
Author: Mia Bonta

Summary
AB 2786, as introduced, Bonta. Mobile farmers’ markets. (1) Existing law, the California Retail Food Code, establishes uniform health and sanitation standards for mobile food facilities and various types of food venues. Existing law authorizes local health agencies to be primarily responsible for enforcing the code, but requires the State Department of Public Health to provide technical assistance, training, and standardization. A person who violates any provision of the code is guilty of a misdemeanor, except as otherwise provided. This bill would revise the California Retail Food Code to include a mobile farmers’ market, as defined, and impose upon the mobile farmers’ market the uniform health and sanitation standards for mobile food facilities and general food safety requirements. The bill would authorize mobile farmers’ markets to sell or provide a variety of foods, including shell eggs, honey, and refrigerated fresh meats. The bill would authorize a mobile farmers’ market to be operated by a third party, including a nonprofit organization incorporated in California that buys, aggregates, sells, or distributes foods grown by local farmers. The bill would also require that agricultural products sold by the mobile farmers’ market be grown or produced by local farmers, with an emphasis on small- and medium-sized farms, socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers, as defined, and food grown using regenerative, organic, or other climate-smart practices. The bill would also require packaged agricultural products to be labeled with the name and address of the farm of origin. By imposing new enforcement requirements on local health agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2)  Existing law, the California Special Supplemental Nutrition Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC Program), authorizes establishment of a statewide program, administered by the State Department of Public Health, for providing nutritional food supplements to low-income pregnant women, low-income postpartum and lactating women, and low-income infants and children under 5 years of age, who have been determined to be at nutritional risk. Existing law requires the department, in order to effectively manage and administer the federal and state requirements for the vendors in the WIC Program, to establish criteria used for vendor authorization. This bill would require the department to establish criteria for the authorization of mobile farmers’ markets when establishing criteria for vendor authorization.(3) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Status
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 16. Noes 0.) (April 23). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

Bill Documents
CA AB 2786 - 02/15/24 - Introduced
02/15/24 - CA AB 2786 (02/15/24 - Introduced)