SECTION 1. Chapter 23A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2016 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after section 10A the following section:-

Section 10A ½. The Massachusetts office of business development shall establish the Massachusetts Food Tourism Task Force for purposes of identifying, evaluating, making recommendations and implementing those recommendations as to the issues, benefits, and challenges to promoting and marketing consumer food, farm and agricultural goods produced in Massachusetts.

Membership of the task force shall include, but not be limited to, the following 7 members:  the director of the Massachusetts office of business development or a designee, who shall serve as chair; the secretary of the executive office of housing and economic development or a designee; the director of the office of real estate and asset development at the Massachusetts department of transportation or a designee; the chief executive officer of the Massachusetts port authority or a designee; the chairman of the board of higher education at the Massachusetts department of higher education or a designee; the commissioner of the Massachusetts department of agricultural resources or a designee; the executive director of the Massachusetts office of travel and tourism or a designee.

Duties and responsibilities of the task force shall include, but not be limited to, the following: identify state operated and state owned locations that may be suitable for marketing, promoting or selling consumer food, farm and agriculture goods produced in Massachusetts; provide information to businesses that produce consumer food, farm and agricultural goods in Massachusetts about state operated and state owned locations that these businesses may sell their goods; develop and maintain a public record of businesses or vendors of consumer food, farm and agriculture goods produced in Massachusetts; develop and implement a brand to identify consumer food, farm and agriculture goods produced in Massachusetts, for purposes of promoting and marketing said goods.

The Massachusetts office of business development may expend such funds as may be appropriated therefor, and may accept federal funds, or private gifts and grants to assist it in carrying out the purposes as set forth in this section.

The Massachusetts office of business development shall promulgate regulations necessary for the administration of this section.