Committee advances cottage‑food bills; amendment to limit higher gross‑sales exemption fails

The Michigan House Agriculture Committee on Oct. 12 considered multiple measures tied to the state’s cottage food law and reported two bills to the House floor after roll‑call votes.

Representative Koontz offered and the committee adopted a drafting amendment to House Bill 4,121 (clerical correction: changing the word “movie” to “meeting”), and the clerk recorded the motion as prevailing by roll call. The committee later corrected the bill number in discussion to House Bill 4,122.

Representative Skaggs introduced an amendment (Amendment 2) to House Bill 4,122 that, in her words, “removes the increased gross sales dollar limit for products costing more than $250 by increasing the gross sales dollar amount to $75,000,” arguing that higher‑risk prepared foods merit licensing and evaluation. The committee voted on Skaggs’ amendment and it failed on the roll call.

Representative Lightner subsequently moved that the committee pass House Bill 4,122. Clerk roll‑call responses in the transcript show Chair Nyar, Representative Wirtz, Leitner, Alexander, Fox, and others voting “yes,” with one pass recorded; the clerk reported the motion carried, 9 yeas, 0 nays, 1 pass. The committee reported House Bill 4,122 to the floor with recommendations.

On a related measure, Representative Alexander presented House Bill 4,245, which would align honey and maple syrup with the cottage‑food law. Alexander said the bill “brings in line honey and maple syrup with the cottage food law” and noted identical language had passed the Senate. The committee reported House Bill 4,245 with recommendations after a roll call that produced nine yeas and the number of passes recorded in the roll call; the clerk declared the motion prevailed.

Testimony in support was submitted for the record from department and industry representatives: Mikayla (MDARD) and Rebecca Parks (Michigan Farm Bureau) were listed on the committee’s speaker cards as supporting the bills and not wishing to speak. The committee did not adopt Skaggs’ proposed sales‑limit amendment, but advanced the two bills to the floor.

Votes at a glance

- Amendment by Representative Koontz to House Bill 4,121 (drafting correction): adopted (roll call recorded as 10 yays, 0 nays, 0 pass). - Amendment by Representative Skaggs (Amendment 2) to House Bill 4,122 (alter gross sales threshold): failed (roll call recorded in transcript; motion did not prevail). - Motion to report House Bill 4,122 to the floor (mover: Representative Lightner): carried 9 yeas, 0 nays, 1 pass; reported with recommendations. - Motion to report House Bill 4,245 to the floor (mover: Representative Wartz/Alexander noted support): carried (clerk recorded nine yeas; motion prevailed) .

The committee did not specify new licensing details or dollar thresholds beyond the language contained in the bills and the failed amendment; where the transcript did not provide a complete numeric text for a bill or amendment, the article notes that detail as not specified in the committee record.