AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE MONTANA LOCAL FOOD CHOICE ACT; EXEMPTING CERTAIN HOMEMADE FOOD PRODUCERS FROM FOOD LICENSURE, PERMITTING, CERTIFICATION, PACKAGING, LABELING, AND INSPECTION REGULATIONS AS WELL AS CERTAIN OTHER STANDARDS AND REQUIREMENTS; PROVIDING EXCEPTIONS TO CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS; REVISING RULEMAKING AUTHORITY; AMENDING SECTIONS 30-12-301, 50-31-104, 50-31-106, 50-31-108, 50-31-201, 50-50-301, 81-2-102, 81-2-105, 81-9-201, 81-9-218, 81-21-101, 81-21-102, 81-21-103, 81-22-101, 81-22-102, 81-22-201, 81-22-303, 81-22-304, 81-22-401, 81-22-405, 81-22-412, 81-22-413, 81-22-416, 81-22-420, 81-22-421, 81-22-503, 81-23-103, 81-23-401, AND 81-23-405, MCA; AND PROVIDING AN IMMEDIATE EFFECTIVE DATE.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:
Section 1. Short title -- purpose. (1) This chapter may be cited as the "Montana Local Food Choice Act".
The purpose of this act is to allow for the sale and consumption of homemade food and food products and to encourage the expansion of agricultural sales by ranches, farms, and home-based producers and the accessibility of homemade food and food products to informed end consumers by:
facilitating the purchase and consumption of fresh and local agricultural products;
enhancing the agricultural economy; and
providing Montana citizens with unimpeded access to healthy food from known sources.
Section 2. Definitions. For purposes of this chapter, the following definitions apply:
"Deliver" means to transfer a product as a result of a transaction between a producer and an informed end consumer. The action may be performed by the producer or the producer's designated agent at a