HB 119 (2023)
Exempt homestead food operations from licensing and inspection
Increases the homestead food operations threshold from $35,000 to $70,000 in annual gross sales. Operations selling less than that amount are not subject to licensure and inspection requirements under state law. The House amended the bill to remove the dollar threshold altogether. According to the House Environment and Agriculture Committee, "The committee heard in testimony that the current annual gross sales threshold is not even tracked or reported by DHHS Food Safety Division, and there is no violation penalty for going over the current threshold, so there is no real reason to have it in current statute."
The Senate also amended the bill to expand food service and meat inspection regulations to cover bison, elk, and red deer.
A conference committee of representatives and senators agreed to this Senate amendment, with some other revisions.