HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2859        FILED ON: 1/17/2019

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2528

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Kay Khan, (BY REQUEST)

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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 sales tax exemptions.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2859        FILED ON: 1/17/2019

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2528

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-First General Court
(2019-2020)

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An Act relative to sales tax exemptions.

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.  Subsection (h) of section 6 of chapter 64H of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2016 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out the first paragraph and inserting in place thereof the following  paragraph:-

Sales of whole natural nature food for human consumption. "Whole natural nature food" shall mean plant foods including grains, vegetables, beans, herbs, nuts, seeds, and fruit, directly from nature without any processing or genetic modification. “Whole natural nature food” does include any raw agricultural commodity that has been subject to washing and cleaning. Food subject  to any  milling, cutting, chopping, heating, pasteurizing, blanching, cooking, canning, freezing, drying, dehydrating, mixing, packaging, added additives, in particular, chemicals that alter the food from its natural nature state are not exempt from taxation.

SECTION 2. Revenues collected from the taxation of processed foods shall be specifically designated to a special subset of the fund called the Prevention and Wellness Trust Fund. This fund will have a specific subset fund and Task Force for the education and dissemination of information on the benefits of eating whole natural nature foods  to the population of Massachusetts

SECTION 3.  A Whole Natural Nature Food Education Task Force shall be convened no later than September 1, 2019 for the purpose of educating the public on the use of whole natural nature foods. This includes a review of the role of farmers, chefs and cooks.  The task force shall consist of the following stakeholders:

(a)  Farmers from every Legislative District in Massachusetts who grow the natural nature whole foods. Districts without farms can designate a supplier or retailer of whole natural nature foods.

(b) Cooks who specialize in whole natural nature foods cooking.

(c)  The Secretary of state, or the secretary’s designee

(d) The House president or a designee, the Speaker of the House or a designee, and the two chairs of the Joint Committee on Revenue or their designees;

(e)  One member chosen by the Governor from a list of three names submitted by the Whole Natural Nature Food Education Task Force.

(f)   Three parents who have a knowledge of whole natural nature foods jointly selected by the Task Force

(g)  Additionally, three students from the each of the Colleges shall serve on this task force. Said students should be chosen to represent various school districts across the Commonwealth.

SECTION 4. The initial meeting of the Task Force shall be solely to understand the reasons to encourage whole natural nature food selection, cooking, and eating. Subsequent meetings will be held for the purpose of understanding mainly whole plant food, the history of plant food, how natural nature food is created, and how best to change our current processed food system into an honest, whole food based system.

a. Appointments to the task force shall be made within 60 days of the effective date of this act. Vacancies in the membership of the task force shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments. Members of the task force shall serve at least 10 hours per month with compensation of $12,000 per year. Increases follow cost of living statistics.

b. The task force shall organize as soon as practically possible following the appointment of its members, but no later than 60 days after the appointment of its members. There shall be two co-chairs, one elected by the members designated in Section (3)(a),(b),(c), (d),  and the second elected by the members in Sections 3 (e),(f), and (g).

SECTION 5. Section 2G(a) of chapter 111 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by deleting the following:

“The fund shall consist of revenues collected by the Commonwealth including: (1) any revenue from appropriations or other monies authorized by the general court and specifically designated to be credited to the fund; (2) any fines and penalties allocated to the fund under the General Laws; (3) any funds from public and private sources such as gifts, grants and donations to further community-based prevention activities; (4) any interest earned on such revenues; and (5) any funds provided from other sources.”

And shall be further amended by inserting in its place the following:

“The fund shall consist of revenues collected by the Commonwealth including: (1) any revenue from appropriations or other monies authorized by the general court and specifically designated to be credited to the fund; (2) all monies received by the Commonwealth as excises upon the sale of any raw agricultural commodity that has been subject to milling, cutting, chopping, heating, pasteurizing, blanching, cooking, canning, freezing, drying, dehydrating, mixing, packaging,  added additives, particularly chemicals that alter the food from its natural nature state as defined  by the provisions of chapter 64H; (3) any fines and penalties allocated to the fund under the General Laws; (4) any funds from public and private sources such as gifts, grants, and donations to further community-based prevention activities; (5) any interest earned on such revenues; and (6) any funds provided from other sources.