House bill would raise license-exemption threshold for small food producers to $30,000

Summary

Rep. Jonathan Cooper told the House Agriculture committee a bill would raise the gross-receipts exemption for food manufacturing and home bakeries from $10,000 to $30,000 to support food resilience; the health department has raised concerns about risk and the bill’s language may be revised after more data.

House Rep. Jonathan Cooper, Bennington-1, told the House Agriculture committee he is sponsoring legislation that would increase the gross annual receipts threshold that exempts small food manufacturers and home bakeries from licensing fees and routine inspections from $10,000 to $30,000.

Cooper said the change is intended to advance “food resilience,” a priority he said the General Assembly has emphasized, by making it easier for sole proprietors, women and new Americans to sell baked goods and other low-risk food products without the time and cost that licensing and inspections can impose. “Food resilience is something the General Assembly has prioritized,” Cooper said.

Supporters argue the change would let more Vermonters operate small commercial and home-based food enterprises and keep more dollars circulating in the state economy. Cooper told the committee current state…

House bill would raise license-exemption threshold for small food producers to $30,000

Summary

Subscribe to keep reading