North Carolina Legislature Enacts Law Limiting Farmer’s Liability for Food Safety Illnesses Among Other Protections

On July 17, 2013, the Governor of North Carolina signed a bill into law known as the North Carolina Farm Act of 2013. The Act provides several protections for farmers and farm-owners among numerous other provisions.

For example, under the Act, a commodity producer is entitled to a rebuttable presumption that the producer was not negligent when death or injury is proximately caused by the consumption of the producer’s raw agricultural commodity if the producer meets specified guidelines laid out in the Act.

In addition, the Act limits the liability of farm animal activity and agritourism operators. It also clarifies that equine recreation where the landowner receives no compensation is subject to the Recreational Use statute and not the Equine Activity Liability statute.

The Act goes in to effect on August 1, 2013.

For more information and the full text of the Act, please visit the North Carolina’s Legislative website.

Written by Sarah Doyle - Research Assistant

The Agricultural Law Resource and Reference Center

@PSUAgLawCenter

July 24, 2013