Cottage food production operation; sales directly to consumers only. (SB221)

Introduced By

Sen. Dick Black (R-Leesburg)

Progress

Introduced
Passed Committee
Passed House
Passed Senate
Signed by Governor
Became Law

Description

Cottage food production operation; sales directly to consumers only.  Defines the cottage food production operation and establishes requirements for food types, labeling, sales methods, and other elements. The bill allows cottage food producers to sell products out of their houses or at farmers' markets and prohibits local health departments from regulating cottage food production operations. Read the Bill »

Outcome

Bill Has Failed

History

DateAction
01/10/2012Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/12
01/10/2012Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/12 12102339D
01/10/2012Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources
01/18/2012Impact statement from DPB (SB221)
02/02/2012Stricken at request of Patron in Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources (15-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)

Comments

richard altice writes:

I have read that the average distance that food in shipped in a chain grocery store is 1500 miles. The cost of petroleum fuel is steadily increasing causing increases to everything it is used to transport.
This country has a large problem with unemployment, what if those either unemployed or under-employed were able to grow something and sell it without burdensome government regulations?
There is a real difference in food produced on small, local farms and what comes from the big industrial complexes. I prefer the local food and to know who's loving hands produced the nutritiously superior food that I am putting on my table.

Mark McIntyre writes:

This Republican-sponsored bill would put a 50K income cap on local home bakers. Why are the Republicans trying to kill small businesses in Virginia? FAIL!

Mark Wittkofski writes:

I thought the Republican Party prides itself in being anti-regulation especially less government regulation coming into our homes (except our bedrooms, of course) and for helping to create small businesses. The amount of hypocrisy in that party will eventually be its undoing!

Mark McIntyre writes:

1. There is NO need for gross income limits AT ALL for ANY REASON at ANY TIME. This is anti-small business and anti-local food and frankly, anti-American.

2. This bill should be set aside so the matter of farmer market internet sales can be looked at in depth. Internet sales that are from LOCAL producers/farmers/bakers to LOCAL customers and accomplished with LOCAL drops offs/pick up and involve no mailing, interstate or intrastate should be exempt from any internet ban. This is especially important during the winter months when there are no farmer markets in many locations due to weather.

3. These amendments do NOTHING to protect farmers and smalll food producers. They only injure them and their communities. This is NO time to put choke-holds on small businesses that pay for mortgages and increase local and state sales taxes. You should be ENCOURAGING these cottage producers; from them larger businesses grow!

4.PULL sb221 and TALK TO LOCAL farmers/bakers/producers about the role of the internet in LOCAL "virtual" farmer markets or any other concerns addressed by 3.2-5120 and 3.2-5130 of the Code of Virginia.

Bernadette Barber writes:

The republicans are the bad guys. They are all about big ag....as small farms are withering away. Read the book CAFO and see Joe Luter(Smithfield) gave George Allen $100,000.00. I used to be a huge Republican supporter, especially George Allen. When his arrogance carried over to not caring about the small farmer, he lost my support. I know a bunch of small farmers trying to get their produce to market and they are smothered by over regulation...and that is what the big boys want. Smithfield, Purdue, Tyson, Bevans Oysters...all processors that want the little guy to have to sell to them.