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HB 2158

Permitting beekeepers who meet certain requirements to sell packaged honey and honeycombs without holding a food establishment or food processing plant license under the Kansas food, drug and cosmetic act.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Rebecca Schmoe

Beekeepers meeting criteria can sell honey/honeycomb retail in Kansas without a state license, by registering with KDA and meeting labeling, sanitary rules and a $25k cap.

Enrolled and presented to Governor on Friday, April 3, 2026
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Bill Summary · HB 2158

Summary — HB 2158 (Kansas, 2025 session)

Main purpose

HB 2158 (introduced Jan. 28, 2025) would amend the Kansas Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act to allow certain beekeepers to sell packaged honey and honeycomb at retail without holding a state food establishment or food processing plant license, provided they register with the Kansas Department of Agriculture (KDA) and meet specified requirements. The intent is to reduce licensing burdens on small-scale beekeepers while maintaining basic labeling, sanitary and recordkeeping requirements.

Key provisions

  • Exemption and registration

    • Beekeepers who meet the bill’s requirements are exempt from the licensing requirement under K.S.A. 65-689 but must register with KDA at no cost.
    • The bill preserves a beekeeper’s option to instead apply for and hold a regular food establishment/processor license.

  • Definitions

    • “Honey”: nectar and saccharine exudations gathered, modified and stored in comb by honeybees.
    • “Honeycomb”: beeswax cell structure where bees store honey.
    • “Unaltered”: left raw/in original state after harvest/straining; excludes pasteurized honey or honeycomb.

  • Eligibility and operational requirements (summary)

    • Packaging must occur on the beekeeper’s own property.
    • Products must remain unaltered and free of additives.
    • Honey/honeycomb must be harvested from hives located in Kansas.
    • Registered beekeepers must follow minimum sanitary standards adopted by KDA for packaging.
    • Maintain sales records (amount by container size, where sold, sale dates) and make them available to KDA upon request.
    • Labeling must include: product designation (“honey” or “honeycomb”; floral source allowed when appropriate), name/address/zip of the beekeeper packaging the product, net weight, and the disclaimer: “Product not subject to routine inspection by the Kansas Department of Agriculture.”

  • Sales threshold

    • The Senate-amended version reduces the allowable annual gross sales threshold to $25,000 (from $50,000 in earlier House versions). This threshold limits who can use the exemption.

  • Commercial kitchen/facility requirement

    • Registered beekeepers who meet specified criteria are not required to acquire or maintain temperature-controlled facilities or a commercial kitchen to qualify for the exemption.

Fiscal impact

  • KDA estimates up to 37 food processing licenses could be exempted.
  • Each license fee is $150 → estimated fee revenue loss of $5,550 for FY2026 and FY2027.
  • KDA warns the lost fee revenue would reduce its ability to perform complaint-based inspections, routine inspections (every ~18 months), or respond to honey/honeycomb-related illness/outbreak investigations; the existing fee revenue is designed to cover those services.

Who is affected

  • Small-scale Kansas beekeepers who package and sell honey/honeycomb at retail and whose annual gross sales do not exceed the threshold.
  • Retailers that purchase such products from exempt beekeepers.
  • Kansas Department of Agriculture — reduced licensing revenue and altered inspection workload.
  • Larger producers above the sales threshold would remain subject to existing licensing and processing rules.

Procedural & timeline notes

  • Introduced Jan. 28, 2025 (Rep. Schmoe; requested by Kansas Honey Producers Association and Northeastern Beekeepers’ Association).
  • Passed House as amended; considered/amended in Senate committee (Agriculture & Natural Resources) — Senate reduced the sales limit to $25,000 and added registration/labeling/disclaimer and sanitary-standards requirements.
  • Conference committee activity: “Conference Committee Report agree to disagree adopted” and additional conferees appointed (March 2025), indicating outstanding interchamber differences as of that action.
  • Fiscal note dated Feb. 7, 2025 (Division of the Budget / KDA).

Notes / points of contention

  • KDA and some opponents raised food safety and inspection concerns; proponents emphasize product safety due to honey’s natural properties and reduced burdens on small businesses.
  • The sales threshold change (House: $50,000 → Senate: $25,000) and the required disclaimer about lack of routine inspection are notable negotiation points.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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