Senate Passes Utah Dairy Act Amendments, Ends Cow‑Share Arrangements and Tightens Raw‑Milk Rules

The Utah Senate voted Feb. 14 to approve first substitute House Bill 311, an amendment to the Utah Dairy Act that eliminates the state’s cow‑share arrangements and establishes strict rules for retail access to raw milk.

Sponsor Senator Dayton said the bill removes the cow‑share option in Utah and creates narrowly defined retail outlets where raw milk may be sold, provided the milk is not sold in locations where pasteurized milk is offered and the outlet displays a sign warning consumers that the product is raw. “It cannot be sold in any store where you are buying pasteurized milk,” Dayton said, adding the measure sets strict transport requirements so milk remains in the dairyman’s possession until sale.

Dayton framed the measure as a compromise between the Dairy Commission and the Farm Bureau intended to expand convenient access to raw milk while increasing regulation and oversight. He told senators the bill allows dairies to sell directly and, under the new option, to transport milk to controlled outlets under department rules; it also eliminates the cow‑share arrangement the sponsor described as the “most unregulated part of the raw milk sales.”

Floor discussion addressed concerns raised by constituents and by out‑of‑state advocacy campaigns that had sent email blasts characterizing the bill as rushed. Dayton and other senators said the bill had been heard in multiple public hearings in the House and Senate and that the floor debate followed standard procedure.

The Senate recorded a final tally of 25 yes, 0 no, with 4 absent. Senators returned the bill to the House or followed the statutory enrollment process as required.

The bill’s final language narrows where raw milk can be sold, requires consumer warning signage and prescribes transport and handling rules; sponsor and supporters emphasized the changes were negotiated with industry stakeholders and the Dairy Commission.