Bill > H1012

This bill aims to improve public access to healthy food through enhanced food traceability within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The key provisions are: 1. Mandating the use of a two-dimensional (2D) scannable data matrix barcode, called a "Mandated Scannable Barcode" (MSB), on all packaged and unpackaged locally sourced goods sold in Massachusetts stores. The MSB must include the zip code or latitude/longitude of the food source, the Universal Product Code (UPC) or Price Look Up (PLU) code, and the shipment date. 2. Establishing the "Massachusetts Healthy Farms Initiative" within the Department of Agricultural Resources to certify that locally sourced goods are free of harmful contaminants, based on soil and water quality testing on participating farms. 3. Creating a task force to study the impact of Superfund sites (contaminated sites designated by the Environmental Protection Agency) on nearby farms and the need for potential remediation, with a report due by December 2022. 4. Allowing for the development of vendor-agnostic applications and software that can utilize the MSB information to provide consumers with a color-coded system (green, yellow, red) to indicate the safety of the locally sourced goods based on their proximity to Superfund sites. The overall goal of the bill is to enhance food traceability, promote local farms, and ensure the safety of locally sourced goods for consumers in Massachusetts.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/H1012