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Home baker bill approved by House

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FRANKFORT, KY. (Feb. 23, 2018) — Home bakers and canners would be able to legally sell their products directly to consumers within Kentucky under a bill that was approved today in the Kentucky House.

House Bill 263 sponsor Rep. Richard Heath, R-Mayfield, said before a House committee vote on the bill earlier this month that HB 263 would give home bakers, canners and other “home-based processors” the ability to sell the same homemade products that farmers already sell.

Products that would be allowed for sale under HB 263 include processed whole fruit and vegetables, mixed greens, jams, jellies, sweet sorghum syrup, preserves, fruit butter, bread, fruit pies, cakes or cookies.

Any of these products could be sold from the processor’s home, by pick-up or delivery, at markets, roadside stands, community events, or online within Kentucky under the bill, said Heath.

“So House Bill 263 makes it allowable for home-based processors to directly offer their products for sale” while spelling out that home-based processors are not farmers or retail stores, he added.

The bill was unanimously approved by the House Health and Family Services Committee on Feb. 15.

Speaking in support of HB 263 in committee was Rep. Mary Lou Marzian, D-Louisville, who said she recalled when the General Assembly made similar statutory changes to benefit farmers market events.

“We did that for the farmers markets, so I think this is a good bill,” she said.

HB 263 passed on the House consent calendar by a vote of 83-0. It now goes to the Senate for consideration.