The Senate Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development met Tuesday morning for a brief meeting to discuss one House bill.
House Bill 2396 would create the West Virginia Fresh Foods Act. The meat and potatoes of the bill consist of requiring state-funded institutions, such as schools, colleges, correctional facilities, government agencies, and state parks to purchase a minimum of five percent of fresh produce from in-state producers.
The goal of the proposed legislation is to promote local in-state farming instead of buying fresh produce from out-of-state producers. The original bill required a minimum of 20 percent to be from in-state producers, but was amended to five percent while in the House Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources. The Senate Committee adopted a strike and insert amended for technical clean up to the bill and was approved unanimously.
The bill will be reported to the Senate, and will request to have the second reference to the Senate Committee on Government Organization to be waived.
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