Connecticut SB 149: AN ACT CONCERNING REVISIONS TO THE FARMERS' MARKET NUTRITION PROGRAM.

Bill Text

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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 149
February Session, 2026

AN ACT CONCERNING REVISIONS TO THE FARMERS' MARKET
NUTRITION PROGRAM.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. Section 22-6g of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage): 2
For the purposes of sections 22-6g to 22-6p, inclusive, as amended by 3
this act: 4
(1) "Application" means a request made by an individual to the 5
department for [vendor] farmer certification in CFM/WIC on a form 6
provided by the department; 7
(2) ["Authorized farmers' market"] "Authorized benefit location" 8
means a farmers' market, farm stand or mobile market that operates 9
within the service area and is a site authorized by the department for 10
the exchange of [vouchers] benefits and Connecticut-grown fresh 11
produce and honey; 12
(3) ["Certified vendor"] "Certified farmer" means an individual who 13
has met all CFM/WIC conditions as outlined by the department and 14
who is guaranteed payment on all [vouchers] benefits accepted, 15
provided compliance is maintained by that individual regarding all 16
CFM/WIC rules and procedures as outlined in the [vendor] farmer 17

Substitute Bill No. 149

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certification handbook; 18
[(4) "Certified vendor identification stamp" means a department-19
issued stamp that shall be utilized by the certified vendor during each 20
occurrence of voucher deposit in the financial institution of certified 21
vendor choice. This stamp shall remain the sole property of the 22
department and shall be forfeited by the certified vendor to the 23
department in the event of suspension;] 24
[(5) "Certified vendor identification sign"] (4) "Certified farmer 25
identification sign" means a department-issued sign which shall be 26
clearly displayed by the certified [vendor] farmer at all times when 27
accepting or intending to accept [vouchers] benefits in an authorized 28
[farmers' market] benefit location. Signs shall remain the sole property 29
of the department and shall be forfeited by the certified [vendor] farmer 30
to the department in the event of suspension; 31
[(6) "Certified vendor number" means a personal identification 32
number issued by the department and assigned to an individual whom 33
the department has identified as a certified vendor;] 34
[(7)] (5) "Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Agriculture; 35
[(8)] (6) "Department" means the Department of Agriculture; 36
[(9)] (7) "Designated distribution WIC clinic" means a site authorized 37
by the department for dispersal of [vouchers] benefits by the local WIC 38
agency; 39
[(10)] (8) "Distribution" means the process outlined by the 40
department and the means by which local WIC agencies actually 41
[dispense vouchers] distribute benefits to eligible participants; 42
[(11)] (9) "Farm products" means any fresh fruits, vegetables, 43
mushrooms, nuts, shell eggs, honey or other bee products, maple syrup 44
or maple sugar, flowers, nursery stock and other horticultural 45
commodities, livestock food products, including meat, milk, cheese and 46
other dairy products, food products of "aquaculture", as defined in 47

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subsection (q) of section 1-1, including fish, oysters, clams, mussels and 48
other molluscan shellfish taken from the waters of the state or tidal 49
wetlands, products from any tree, vine or plant and their flowers, or any 50
of the products listed in this subdivision that have been processed by 51
the participating farmer, including, but not limited to, baked goods 52
made with farm products; 53
[(12)] (10) "Farmers' market" means a cooperative or nonprofit 54
enterprise or association that consistently occupies a given site 55
throughout the season, which operates principally as a common 56
marketplace for a group of farmers, at least two of whom are selling 57
Connecticut-grown fresh produce, to sell Connecticut-grown farm 58
products directly to consumers, and where the products sold are 59
produced by the participating farmers with the sole intent and purpose 60
of generating a portion of household income; 61
[(13)] (11) "Fresh produce" means fruits and vegetables that have not 62
been processed in any manner and chicken eggs; 63
[(14)] (12) "CFM/WIC" means the Connecticut farmers' market 64
[supplemental food] nutrition program for women, infants and children 65
participants as administered by the department; 66
[(15)] (13) "Local WIC agency" means an entity that [administers local 67
health programs and which has entered into contract for voucher 68
distribution and related service with the department] contracts with the 69
Department of Public Health for the administration of the WIC program 70
and distributes benefits to eligible WIC participants; 71
[(16)] (14) "Connecticut-grown" means produce and other farm 72
products, [that have a traceable point of origin within Connecticut