Committee advances bill raising state honey-production threshold and easing permit requirement for beekeepers

House Bill 391, introduced by Representative Jason Nemas, would adjust state rules governing small-scale honey production by increasing the threshold that requires a certified honey house from 50 gallons of honey per year to 500 gallons per year and by removing a permit requirement for producers who fall under that new ceiling.

Nemas told the committee the existing limit—50 gallons—makes Kentucky one of the most restrictive states and forces some beekeepers to curtail honey production or move operations across state lines. He said the current rule has been in place about 23 years. Jessica Mays of the Kentucky State Beekeepers Association and Scott Moore, director/program manager for Certified Kentucky Honey Producers, testified in support of the change.

Moore said a certified honey house can cost roughly $150,000, which prevents many small and hobbyist beekeepers from scaling up honey production. He and other witnesses said neighboring states such as Indiana and Ohio impose fewer or no such restrictions, and beekeepers sometimes shift production to states with less stringent rules.

Members asked about fiscal impacts and enforcement. Representative All asked whether a fiscal impact estimate was available and how many beekeepers would be affected; sponsors said the state lacks an apiary registry so an exact count is not available, and that there may be some fiscal impact from eliminating permit fees but the size was not known. Representatives raised labeling and origin concerns; the bill includes a “pure and unadulterated” standard and language that honey must be “produced in Kentucky” so the exemption benefits Kentucky producers rather than bottlers using imported product. The Certified Kentucky Honey Producers program and Kentucky Proud were discussed as marketing and verification mechanisms; Moore said their program includes application, apiary verification within Kentucky and random laboratory testing.

Representative Tate moved the bill; Representative Massaroni seconded. Chair Dossett announced House Bill 391 “passes with favorable expression and should do so on the floor.” Representatives who spoke in favor called the bill a practical step to reduce regulatory burden on small beekeepers and to support pollinator programs.

Key numerical clarifications from committee testimony: current statutory threshold cited in testimony is 50 gallons per year; the bill raises that threshold to 500 gallons per year; a certified honey house was described as costing on the order of $150,000; the state’s number of beekeepers was described as roughly 3,000 based on USDA surveys because the state lacks a registry.

The transcript does not include a formal fiscal note or a specific Kentucky statute citation in the committee discussion; committee members requested technical clarifications about fiscal impact and enforcement during testimony.