House Bill 391, which increases the production threshold that requires a beekeeper to use a certified honey house and reduces permitting burdens on small producers, passed the House Agriculture Committee after extended testimony from beekeepers and lawmakers.

Representative Jason Nemas, sponsor of the bill and the state representative for the 33rd District, told the committee that Kentucky’s current limit is 50 gallons and that the bill raises the threshold to 500 gallons: “Kentucky\u2019s rules are the second worst in the country. We have a rule that says that you can produce 50 gallons of honey on your own farm,” he said, and added the change is a step toward the many states that have no regulation. Nemas said the state has roughly 3,000 beekeepers but no mandatory apiary registration, so exact counts of who falls into the newly exempted range are not available.

Scott Moore, director and program manager for Certified Kentucky Honey Producers, and Jessica Mays of the Kentucky State Beekeepers Association joined the sponsor at the table. Committee members asked about fiscal impact, and Nemas and the witnesses said some fiscal effect is possible because permitting and testing can carry costs, but a precise fiscal estimate was not available in committee. Nemas noted that a certified commercial honey house can cost into the six-figure range, which many small producers cannot afford.

Lawmakers also discussed protections against out-of-state or adulterated honey. The bill includes language requiring honey sold under the exemption to be “pure and unadulterated” and to be “produced in Kentucky” to target Kentucky producers rather than import bottlers. Committee testimony described the Certified Kentucky Honey Producers program as a marketing and verification program separate from the Kentucky Proud program; the certified program conducts apiary verification and random testing of products submitted for certification.

Representative Nemas and supporters argued the change would help small and hobbyist beekeepers sell more honey without incurring the costs of a certified honey house, and committee members expressed widespread support. The committee moved the bill forward with favorable expression.