03/27/2024 03:15 PM House LABOR & COMMERCE

              HB 251-EXEMPTIONS FOR HOMEMADE FOODS                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
3:43:37 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SUMNER announced  that the next order of  business would be                                                               
HOUSE BILL  NO. 251, "An  Act exempting certain foods  and drinks                                                               
prepared  in  a  person's  uninspected home  kitchen  from  state                                                               
labeling,  licensing,   packaging,  permitting,   and  inspection                                                               
requirements;  and permitting  a person  to acquire  meat from  a                                                               
producer by  way of an  ownership share  in an animal  if certain                                                               
conditions are met."                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
3:43:51 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE RUFFRIDGE  moved to  adopt the  proposed committee                                                               
substitute (CS) for HB 251,  Version 33-LS0888\S, Bullard, 3/6/24                                                               
("Version S"), as the working document.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SUMNER objected for discussion purposes.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
3:44:26 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
RYAN MCKEE,  Staff, Representative George Rauscher,  Alaska State                                                               
Legislature,   on  behalf   of  Representation   Rauscher,  prime                                                               
sponsor, provided a  summary of the changes made  in the proposed                                                               
CS for  HB 251, Version S.   He spoke from  the document provided                                                               
in the committee packet titled  "House Bill HB 251 Explanation of                                                               
Changes," which read as follows [original punctuation provided]:                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Article  7aSection  17.20.332  Exemption  for  homemade                                                                  
     food:  This section  adds or  removes language  to some                                                                  
     sections to make it more  specific to the intentions of                                                                    
     the legislation.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
      Page 1 lines 8-11 and adds a new language on page 1                                                                       
     line 13 clarifying that the sale of homemade foods is                                                                      
     only for personal consumption.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
      Page 2 subsection c, language following "commercial                                                                       
     food establishment" was removed.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     Page 2 subsection d lines 16 and 17 was removed                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     Page 2 subsections f & g lines 3-14 were removed                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
       Page 2 subsections h & I were reworded creating 2                                                                        
          clear things a seller must do before selling                                                                          
     unpackaged homemade food                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     Page 4 lines 24- page 5 line 9 changes the wording on                                                                      
     the relationship to other laws                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     Section 17.20.338                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
        Changes were made to the various definitions and                                                                        
     number 6 was removed                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MR. MCKEE  noted that  most of the  changes are  cleanup language                                                               
that  was   discussed  with   the  Department   of  Environmental                                                               
Conservation (DEC).                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
3:45:59 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  SUMNER removed  his  objection.   There  being no  further                                                               
objection, Version S was before the committee.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
3:46:18 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE RUFFRIDGE  moved to  report CSHB 251,  Version 33-                                                               
LS0888\S,  Bullard,  3/6/24,  out of  committee  with  individual                                                               
recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  PRAX objected.    He inquired  about whether  the                                                               
bill has another committee of reference.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:47:02 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SUMNER  replied that  the bill  will next  be heard  by the                                                               
House Resources Standing Committee.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  PRAX  removed  his  objection.   There  being  no                                                               
further objection,  CSHB 251(L&C) was  reported out of  the House                                                               
Labor and Commerce Standing Committee.