Existing law authorizes the Director of the State Department of Agriculture to establish a program for the certification of producers and handlers of organic agricultural products. (NRS 587.800) Section 1 of this bill requires the Director to establish a program to certify: (1) food and farm products as grown or produced in Nevada; and (2) vendors of food or farm products grown or produced in Nevada. In order for a vendor to be certified by the program, section 1 requires that 51 percent or more of the food or farm products sold by the vendor be grown or produced in Nevada.
Section 2 of this bill requires the State Department of Agriculture to establish a Task Force on Farm Labor to study issues relating to the farm labor workforce in this State, including, without limitation, workforce development and visa programs for farmworkers. Section 2 also: (1) prescribes the membership and duties of the Task Force; (2) requires the Task Force to submit a written report describing the activities, findings, conclusions and recommendations of the Task Force for transmittal to the 84th Session of the Legislature; and (3) authorizes the Task Force to request the drafting of not more than two legislative measures for prefiling on or before the first day of the regular session of the 2027 Legislature.
Section 3 of this bill makes an appropriation of $800,000 to the Nutritious Food Purchase Account for the Director of the State Department of Agriculture to carry out the Home Feeds Nevada Agriculture Food Purchase Program.