The convention committee’s amendments on prohibitions and exemptions had been accepted earlier than the North Dakota Legislature OK’d farmers promoting uncooked milk on to customers.
These provisions present that
–A farm could promote uncooked milk on to the top client for private consumption.
–A farm could not promote uncooked milk to a wholesaler or retail retailer for mass consumption underneath this chapter.
–The vendor shall solely promote milk inside this state.
–The sale could not contain interstate commerce.
–Uncooked milk is probably not donated.
With these provisions, the North Dakota Legislature despatched the direct sale invoice to Gov. Doug Burgum’s desk by overwhelming margins, 83 -to 10 within the Home and 32-to-14 within the Senate.
Home Invoice 1515 permits dairy producers in North Dakota to promote uncooked milk on their farms, whereas persevering with the state’s prohibition on gross sales by grocery shops or wholesalers. Uncooked milk gross sales are restricted to direct transactions between a prepared purchaser and a prepared vendor.
North Dakota’s well being and agriculture officers stay involved concerning the pathogens contained in milk that aren’t pasteurized that usually trigger human sicknesses. These issues could also be why Gov. Burgum’s place on HB 1515 stays unknown.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds additionally has a uncooked invoice on her desk. Iowa Senate File 315 is just like the North Dakota invoice however seems to go a little bit additional.
Milk producers would be capable to promote uncooked, unpasteurized milk in Iowa if Gov. Reynolds indicators SF315.
.Healthcare and agricultural teams, together with the Iowa Public Well being Affiliation, Iowa Farm Bureau, and Iowa State Dairy Affiliation, are on report as being against the invoice due to public well being issues.
The Iowa Home made revisions to the invoice after it first handed the Senate, however the margins have been giant on last passage in each chambers, 64-to-35 within the Home and 37-to-13 within the Senate.
The accredited model requires that uncooked milk producers take a look at dairy animals for micro organism. It doesn’t require that the uncooked milk itself be examined for micro organism or viruses, which may enable contaminated milk to enter the stream of commerce.
In 4 different states, the present legislative periods look like coming to an finish with no modifications for uncooked milk.
Hawaii
The Hawaii Senate’s Committee on Agriculture and the Atmosphere and the Committee on Well being and Human Companies deferred HB 521 and nothing has occurred since then.
Some citizen testimony had earlier requested why it’s okay for Hawaiians to devour dangerous uncooked shellfish, however not uncooked milk, however the state Well being Division stays utterly against uncooked milk legalization.
Adjournment Sine Die for the Hawaii Legislature is Could 4.
Illinois
SB 0152 authorizes a dairy farm to promote, distribute or in any other case promote or distribute unpasteurized milk or milk merchandise for human use or consumption with out being issued a allow if the animal is housed on the farm.
After it was launched on Jan. 25, 2023, the Illinois uncooked milk invoice was assigned to the Senate’s Public Well being Committee. It took the project till March 10, 2023, when SB 0152 was despatched again to the Assignments Committee, the place it stays.
The Illinois Legislature adjourns on Could 19 and runs as much as that date with the same old bill-killing deadlines.
Rhode Island
The Rhode Island Home Well being and Human Companies Committee has beneficial the invoice to legalize uncooked milk “be held for additional examine.”
That motion was taken by a committee vote on March 10, 2023. In all chance, it spells the loss of life neal for HB 5557 through the present legislative session which doesn’t finish till June 30.
HB 5557 would, whether it is ever enacted, give uncooked milk the identical standing as pasteurized milk.
Minnesota
The Minnesota Home Agriculture, Finance and Coverage Committee on Feb. 1, 2023, received the project to overview HF 1167, nevertheless it’s not held any hearings or moved the invoice in any approach. As drafted it could allow registered small dairy farms to promote fluid uncooked milk and fluid uncooked milk merchandise to customers underneath sure circumstances.
The Minnesota Legislature is scheduled to adjourn on Could 22,
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