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Committee raises cottage-food revenue cap to 150K and reports bill favorable
Summary
The committee adopted an amendment to raise the cottage food gross-sales cap and reported House Bill 403 as amended, a measure supporters said will help small, home-based food producers expand while safeguards for shelf-stable foods remain in place.
The Senate Health and Welfare Committee on May 13 adopted an amendment to raise the gross-receipts cap for cottage-food producers and reported House Bill 403 as amended. The change raises the income threshold for sales under cottage-food provisions to expand market opportunities for home-based producers.
A presenter argued the change helps small producers invest in equipment and grow, and representatives from numerous parishes told the committee they had sought higher caps. Meredith Sarang, a cottage baker, said the list of permitted products is limited to shelf-stable foods and therefore presents minimal food-safety risk. "Allowing families a way to uphold their family structure while still providing for their family would mean improvements for our communities and state as a whole," she said.
Committee members signaled support for further amendment and the chair offered to work between committee and floor to finesse threshold amounts; the committee ultimately adopted an amendment setting a higher cap (discussed at 150,000) and reported the bill as amended. The committee noted one red-card opposition from the Restaurant Association but proceeded after members said they were comfortable with the compromise.
Where it stands: HB 403 was reported as amended with a raised revenue cap for cottage food producers; additional technical edits may occur before floor consideration.
