Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB519 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		89R4059 EAS-F
2	2		By: González of El Paso H.B. No. 519
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5	7		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	8		AN ACT
7	9		relating to honey production operations and the harvesting and
8	10		packaging of honey and honeycomb.
9	11		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	12		SECTION 1. Section 437.001(7), Health and Safety Code, is
11	13		amended to read as follows:
12	14		(7) "Honey [Small honey] production operation" means a
13	15		beekeeper that[:
14	16		[(A) produces less than 2,500 pounds of honey
15	17		each year;
16	18		[(B)] sells or distributes [the] honey or
17	19		honeycomb [that] the beekeeper produces [either personally or with
18	20		the help of the beekeeper's immediate family members;
19	21		[(C) only sells or distributes honey or
20	22		honeycomb:
21	23		[(i) that is produced from a hive that is:
22	24		[(a) located in the state; and
23	25		[(b) owned and managed by the
24	26		beekeeper;
25	27		[(ii)] that is or from which is extracted
26	28		pure honey as defined by Section 131.001, Agriculture Code, [and]
27	29		that is raw and not blended with any other product or otherwise
28	30		adulterated[; and
29	31		[(iii) directly to consumers at the
30	32		beekeeper's home, a farmer's market, a farm stand, or a municipal,
31	33		county, or nonprofit fair, festival, or event; and
32	34		[(D) delivers the honey or honeycomb that the
33	35		beekeeper produces to the consumer at the point of sale or another
34	36		location designated by the consumer].
35	37		SECTION 2. Sections 437.0197, 437.0198, and 437.0199,
36	38		Health and Safety Code, are amended to read as follows:
37	39		Sec. 437.0197. EXEMPTION FOR [SMALL] HONEY PRODUCTION
38	40		OPERATION. A [small] honey production operation is not a food
39	41		service establishment for purposes of this chapter.
40	42		Sec. 437.0198. REGULATION OF [SMALL] HONEY PRODUCTION
41	43		OPERATION PROHIBITED. A local government authority, including a
42	44		local health department, may not regulate the production of honey
43	45		or honeycomb at a [small] honey production operation.
44	46		Sec. 437.0199. LABELING REQUIREMENTS FOR [SMALL] HONEY
45	47		PRODUCTION OPERATION. Honey or honeycomb sold or distributed by a
46	48		[small] honey production operation must be labeled in accordance
47	49		with Subchapter E, Chapter 131, Agriculture Code. [The label must
48	50		include:
49	51		[(1) the net weight of the honey expressed in both the
50	52		avoirdupois and metric systems;
51	53		[(2) the beekeeper's name and address; and
52	54		[(3) the statement "Bottled or packaged in a facility
53	55		not inspected by the Texas Department of State Health Services."]
54	56		SECTION 3. Chapter 437, Health and Safety Code, is amended
55	57		by adding Section 437.01991 to read as follows:
56	58		Sec. 437.01991. HONEY AS RAW AGRICULTURAL COMMODITY. (a)
57	59		In this section, "raw agricultural commodity" has the meaning
58	60		assigned by Section 431.002.
59	61		(b) For purposes of this subtitle and other applicable law,
60	62		a honey production operation that:
61	63		(1) extracts honey from honeycomb is harvesting a raw
62	64		agricultural commodity; and
63	65		(2) bottles extracted honey and packages cut honeycomb
64	66		is packaging a raw agricultural commodity without necessitating any
65	67		additional manufacturing or processing.
66	68		SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.