Protections for Agricultural Products Grown in Colorado
Summary
HB1031 creates new protections for agricultural products marketed as Colorado-grown. It prohibits a person from identifying a plant, fruit, vegetable, or fungus as being grown in Colorado when selling, marketing, advertising, or distributing it in the state unless the product was actually grown in Colorado. The bill also restricts use of the Colorado Proud designation or logo unless authorized by the Department of Agriculture.
The bill defines the covered “agricultural product” as a raw or unprocessed plant product intended for human consumption, including products grown through farming, horticulture, greenhouse production, or controlled environment agricultural facilities. It adds violations of these rules to Colorado’s deceptive trade practices law, but it expressly does not create a private right of action, meaning enforcement would rest with the state rather than private lawsuits.
Impact
HB1031 would add a new section to Title 35 of the Colorado Revised Statutes and amend the state’s deceptive trade practices statute in Title 6. It would give the state a clearer legal basis to police false origin claims for produce and other covered agricultural products, and to restrict unauthorized use of the Colorado Proud brand. The practical effect is to protect Colorado farmers and consumers by discouraging mislabeling and counterfeit local branding in retail, farmers’ markets, and similar sales channels.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been received very positively and without recorded opposition. It passed the House Agriculture, Water & Natural Resources Committee 12-0, passed House third reading 61-0, advanced from the Senate Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee 5-0 with a recommendation for the consent calendar, and passed Senate third reading 33-0. The unanimous votes suggest broad bipartisan support for consumer protection and support for Colorado agriculture.
Contention
No major contention is reflected in the available committee or floor vote history. The bill’s stated purpose is to prevent deceptive marketing of out-of-state produce as Colorado-grown, so any potential concerns would likely center on enforcement, compliance burdens for sellers, or the scope of the Colorado Proud designation restrictions. However, the record provided shows no recorded dissent or substantive opposition.