Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Beekeeping topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Senate committee ups hobbyist hive allowances and advances bee‑registration changes
Summary
The committee voted to do‑concur on House Bill 624, which increases allowable hobbyist beehives and adjusts site rules to improve registration compliance after heavy colony losses; department witnesses described inspection categories and current license requirements.
The Senate Agriculture committee agreed to do‑concur on House Bill 624 to increase the number of hobbyist beehives an individual may register and permit family use across multiple sites.
Representative Eric Tillman told the committee the bill would raise the individual hobbyist hive limit (from five to ten hives) and allow a family to register up to five different sites; the sponsor said the change aims to improve registration compliance so the state can notify beekeepers quickly in case of disease outbreaks after heavy colony losses. Ian Foley, Ag Sciences Administrator, explained Montana’s licensing framework for beekeepers (four license categories: hobbyist, commercial, landowner and pollination sites) and stressed registration helps the department reach hobbyists during pest or disease events.
Senators asked about reported colony‑loss rates and whether native pollinator restoration is being pursued; witnesses said recent winters have seen very high losses among honeybee colonies and pointed to multiple stressors (pesticides, habitat loss, pathogens) while noting native pollinator issues are related but distinct. The committee adopted a technical amendment adjusting site counts and then took executive action to concur on the bill as amended.
