SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1081        FILED ON: 1/15/2015

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 419

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Anne M. Gobi

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act relative to the distribution of raw milk.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

 

Anne M. Gobi

Worcester, Hampden, Hampshire and Middlesex

 

James B. Eldridge

Middlesex and Worcester

 

Michael J. Rodrigues

First Bristol and Plymouth

 

Bruce E. Tarr

First Essex and Middlesex

 

Donald F. Humason, Jr.

Second Hampden and Hampshire

 

Ellen Story

3rd Hampshire

 

Stephen Kulik

1st Franklin

 

Sarah K. Peake

4th Barnstable

 

Timothy R. Madden

Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket

 

Josh S. Cutler

6th Plymouth

 

Keiko M. Orrall

12th Bristol

 

Paul W. Mark

2nd Berkshire

 

Jennifer E. Benson

37th Middlesex

 

Steven S. Howitt

4th Bristol

 

Carolyn C. Dykema

8th Middlesex

 

James Arciero

2nd Middlesex

 

Gailanne M. Cariddi

1st Berkshire

 

Stephen L. DiNatale

3rd Worcester

 

Kimberly N. Ferguson

1st Worcester

 

Jonathan Hecht

29th Middlesex

 

Peter V. Kocot

1st Hampshire

 

William Smitty Pignatelli

4th Berkshire

 

Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr.

12th Hampden

 

Paul A. Schmid, III

8th Bristol

 

Todd M. Smola

1st Hampden

 

Chris Walsh

6th Middlesex

 

Geoff Diehl

7th Plymouth

 

Donald R. Berthiaume, Jr.

5th Worcester

 

Ryan C. Fattman

Worcester and Norfolk

9/14/2015


SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1081        FILED ON: 1/15/2015

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 419

By Ms. Gobi, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 419) of Anne M. Gobi, James B. Eldridge, Ellen Story, Stephen Kulik and other members of the General Court for legislation relative to the distribution of raw milk.  Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture.

 

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 3857 OF 2013-2014.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Eighty-Ninth General Court
(2015-2016)

_______________

 

An Act relative to the distribution of raw milk.

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1    Chapter 94 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after Section 13 the following section:-

Section 13 A ½   (a) Licensed raw milk farmers will be allowed to deliver raw milk directly to the consumer, off-site from the farm, provided that the raw milk farmer have a direct, contractual relationship with the consumer.  The raw milk farmer may contract with a third party for delivery provided that the raw milk farmer shall maintain the contractual relationship with the consumer.  The raw milk farmer may deliver raw milk through a community supported agriculture (CSA) delivery system provided that the raw milk farmer shall maintain a contractual relationship with the consumer.  Delivery may be made directly to the consumer’s residence or to a pre-established receiving site; said sites shall not be in a retail setting with the exception of CSA delivery.  In such instances, raw milk shall be kept separated from retail items for sale and will not be accessible to the general public.

(b)  Raw milk farmers may sell raw milk from their farm stands even if not contiguous to their raw milk dairy and shall comply with section 3 of chapter 40 of the General Laws. 

(c)  The Commissioner of the Department of Agricultural Resources, in consultation with the Department of Public Health, shall adopt and promulgate reasonable rules and regulations governing the handling, packaging, storage and transportation of raw milk, non-mechanical refrigeration shall be permitted.