Enacts the "honesty in cut meat act" under which grocery stores must display signage that distinguishes between store-cut meat and pre-cut, pre-packaged meat.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
11325
IN ASSEMBLY
May 11, 2026
___________
Introduced by COMMITTEE ON RULES -- (at request of M. of A. Stirpe) --
read once and referred to the Committee on Consumer Affairs and
Protection
AN ACT to amend the general business law, in relation to enacting the
"honesty in cut meat act"
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
2 the "honesty in cut meat act".
3 § 2. Legislative findings. The legislature finds and declares that:
4 1. It is the policy of the state of New York to promote fresh quality
5 meat products in grocery stores and to allow customers the chance of
6 making an informed decision between meat that is freshly cut in the
7 store by experienced, knowledgeable butchers and meat which has been
8 pre-cut and pre-packaged by external processors or distributors. Addi-
9 tionally, accurate disclosure of nutritious, fresh cut meat can help to
10 encourage the consumption of such products in a manner that helps to
11 promote the state's meat industries and increase employment in the
12 communities served by a grocery store.
13 2. The state of New York further finds that in-store meat cutters
14 represent a skilled workforce earning good wages and a family-sustaining
15 livelihood. The presence of this skilled workforce in New York is
16 declining with shifts by grocery stores towards pre-cut, pre-packaged
17 meat. As this continues it exacerbates connected issues of job loss,
18 affordability, and community sustainment. Experienced meat cutters are
19 often among the highest paid positions in a grocery store and removing
20 these positions in favor of meat which has been trucked in from external
21 processors or distributors simultaneously removes a good paying job from
22 New York's communities.
23 § 3. The general business law is amended by adding a new section 350-
24 b-2 to read as follows:
25 § 350-b-2. Disclosures required in cut meat offered for sale in
26 grocery stores. 1. For the purposes of this section, the following terms
27 shall have the following meanings:
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD15624-01-6
A. 11325 2
1 (a) "Grocery store" shall have the same meaning as such term is
2 defined by section three of the alcoholic beverage control law.
3 (b) "Meat" means all raw beef, chicken, turkey and pork offered for
4 sale in a grocery store larger than ten thousand square feet.
5 (c) "Pre-cut, pre-packaged meat" means meat that has been cut and
6 packaged by an external processor before arriving to the grocery store.
7 (d) "Signage" means a sticker, stamp, sign, notice, placard, post or
8 tag.
9 (e) "Store-cut meat" means fresh cuts of meat portioned and packaged
10 by grocery store employees on-site.
11 2. Grocery stores, within their meat and butcher departments, shall
12 display signage that distinguishes between store-cut meat or pre-cut,
13 pre-packaged meat. Such signage shall: (a) be affixed to the shelf or
14 case upon which or in which the meat is displayed to customers; (b)
15 include the date on which the store-cut meat was cut, as applicable; and
16 (c) include a disclosure of whether the meat is store-cut meat or pre-
17 cut, pre-packaged meat.
18 3. In addition to any civil penalty available under section three
19 hundred fifty-d of this article:
20 (a) Whenever there shall be a violation of any portion of this
21 section, an application may be made by the attorney general in the name
22 of the people of the state of New York to a court or justice having
23 jurisdiction to issue an injunction against the respondent and upon
24 notice to such respondent of not less than three days, to enjoin and
25 restrain the continuance of such violations; and if it shall appear to
26 the satisfaction of the court or justice that the respondent has, in
27 fact, violated any portion, an injunction may be issued by such court or
28 justice, enjoining and restraining any further violation, without
29 requiring proof that any person has, in fact, been injured or damaged
30 thereby.
31 (b) Whenever the court shall determine that any individual, grocery
32 store, partnership, corporation, association or firm has violated the
33 provisions of this section, the court may impose a civil penalty of not
34 more than two thousand five hundred dollars for each violation. In
35 connection with any such application, the attorney general is authorized
36 to take proof and make a determination of the relevant facts and to
37 issue subpoenas in accordance with the civil practice law and rules.
38 (c) In addition to any other remedies provided in this section, any
39 person aggrieved by a violation of this section shall be entitled to
40 bring a private right of action in a court of competent jurisdiction
41 against any individual, grocery store, partnership, corporation, associ-
42 ation or firm in violation of this section. Nothing in this section
43 shall in any way limit rights or remedies which are otherwise available
44 under law to the attorney general or any other person authorized to
45 bring an action under this section.
46 § 4. This act shall be liberally construed so as to effectuate its
47 purposes. If a court declares any provision or application of this act
48 to be illegal, the remaining provisions shall remain in effect. Courts
49 are hereby authorized to interpret the provisions of this act in a
50 manner that preserves the maximum lawful effect thereof.
51 § 5. This act shall take effect immediately.
