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Committee backs change to classify honey as raw agricultural commodity; beekeepers say it will help small producers
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Summary
The committee approved House Bill 519, which revises the definition of a honey production operation so that extraction and bottling of raw honey are treated as agricultural production rather than food manufacturing. Beekeepers said the change reduces regulatory burdens that have affected small operations.
Senators voted to report House Bill 519 favorably after hearing testimony from beekeepers who said current rules treat small honey producers like food manufacturers and impose unnecessary kitchen and labeling requirements.
Proponents said the bill will align state practice with federal guidance that treats raw extracted honey as an agricultural commodity. Laurel Morris, a beekeeper and environmental engineering graduate, told the committee the change would support small family farms after she relied on an agricultural valuation to survive losses from pesticide exposure and a July 4 fire. “Honey is antimicrobial and shelf stable from the moment it's made in the beehive to the moment you spin it out,” Morris said, arguing the product “rarely spoils, and it poses no health risk when handled safely at home.”
Gary Barber, president of the Texas Beekeepers Association, registered support and spoke from the association, saying the group supported the bill.
Morris told senators she keeps seven hives and said that treating honey extraction as agricultural production would help small producers maintain 1‑D‑1 ag tax valuations and avoid the expense of commercial kitchen requirements.
The committee recorded 8 ayes and no nays and reported the bill favorably to the full Senate; it also recommended the bill for the local and uncontested calendar.
