[Passed Both Houses]

ASSEMBLY, No. 1140

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 1996 SESSION

By Assemblywoman MURPHY, Assemblyman BLEE,

 Senators Gormley and Zane

An Act establishing a venison donation demonstration program.

    Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

    1. a. The Commissioner of Health, in consultation with the Commissioner of Environmental Protection, the Secretary of Agriculture and the chairman of the Fish and Game Council, shall establish a venison donation demonstration program. The program shall permit, under controlled conditions, the slaughter, processing, distribution, and serving of venison donated by recreational hunters to nonprofit charitable organizations, in accordance with guidelines established by the Commissioner of Health and the State Fish and Game Code established pursuant to section 32 of P.L.1948, c.448 (C.13:1B-30), in order to protect the health and safety of those persons consuming the donated venison.

    b. The Commissioner of Health, in consultation with the Commissioner of Environmental Protection, the Secretary of Agriculture, the chairman of the Fish and Game Council, and the United Bow Hunters of New Jersey, shall study the feasibility of expanding the program to include venison obtained from hunters licensed by the Department of Environmental Protection to participate in crop depredation control activities, and shall expand the program accordingly if the commissioner deems it appropriate.

    2. The Commissioner of Health, in consultation with the Commissioner of Environmental Protection, the Secretary of Agriculture and the chairman of the Fish and Game Council, shall report to the Governor and the Legislature no later than three years after the effective date of this act on the results of the program, accompanying that report with any recommendations concerning the feasibility of establishing a permanent venison donation program and including recommendations concerning the need for legislation to control, restrict, or promote venison donation activities.

    3. The Commissioner of Health shall develop guidelines, in consultation with the Commissioner of Environmental Protection, the Secretary of Agriculture and the chairman of the Fish and Game Council, to effectuate the purposes of this act.

    4. P.L.1993, c.355 (C.24:16B-61.1) is repealed.

    5. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire three years after the effective date.

Establishes a venison donation demonstration program in DOH.