Cottage Foods Reform (HB 1322) sailed through the House floor last week on a UNANIMOUS (70-0) vote!
Now, the bill heads to Senate Commerce & Energy Committee on Thursday, 3/3 for its second chamber consideration.
Contact Members of Senate Commerce & Ask Them to Support HB 1322!
(Chair) Casey Crabtree, D8-Madison Casey.Crabtree@sdlegislature.gov
(Vice Chair) David Wheeler D22-Huron David.Wheeler@sdlegislature.gov
Red Dawn Foster D27-Pine Ridge RedDawn.Foster@sdlegislature.gov
Al Novstrup D3-Aberdeen Al.Novstrup@sdlegislature.gov
Lee Schoenbeck D5-Watertown lee@schoenbecklaw.com
Jim Stalzer D11-Sioux Falls Jim.Stalzer@sdlegislature.gov
Wayne Steinhauer D9-Hartford SenatorSteinhauer@gmail.com
Erin Tobin D21-Winner Erin.Tobin@sdlegislature.gov
Larry Zikmund D14-Sioux Falls lzikmund@sio.midco.net
Many states have updated their cottage food laws in recent years, making South Dakota’s current law on selling homemade foods direct to consumers much more restrictive than that of our neighboring states.
HB 1322 makes a number of positive changes for local food entrepreneurs in the state, including:
- Allows for a broader range of homemade food products to be sold direct to consumers, including fermented foods, kuchen, pesto, and frozen fruits & vegetables;
- Gives producers the ability to make safe recipe variations based on what is in seasonal supply, rather than being required to certify each alteration through a 3rd Party Processing Authority;
- Provides a convenient online food safety training (renewal every 5 years) that allows for sale of the full range of foods under the law;
- Preserves the ability to sell shelf stable baked goods with no additional licensing requirements; AND
- Removes requirement for 3rd Party Processing Authority certification of canned foods, BUT allows producers to continue selling under that system if they so choose
Dakota Rural Action worked with member-producers and farmers market managers, as well as connecting with organizations working on “food freedom” legislation, in order to draft a bill that will allow food entrepreneurs to sell a broader range of high demand foods direct to consumers, safely.
If you have any questions about the bill, please contact Rebecca Terk at (605) 697-5204 x260 or email: rebeccat@dakotarural.org