Beekeeping hobbyists and other small honey production operations will soon see less regulation on the honey they produce for profit.

Senate Bill 1766, known as the Beekeepers Bill, was introduced into the state Legislature by state Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, and co-sponsored by state Sen. Robert Nichols. R-Jacksonville and state Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham. State Rep. Will Metcalf, R-Conroe, sponsored the bill in the House of Representatives. The bill exempts hobbyist beekeepers that produce less than 2,500 pounds of honey per year from commercial kitchen requirements and state regulations that are intended for mass-scale food production operations.

“Any time we can remove government regulation we need to try to do so,” Creighton said. “Hobbyists like beekeepers that produce honey for Texans to enjoy at the breakfast table, they are finding themselves under more and more state regulation requiring things like commercial kitchens and burdensome inspections. [These are] things that should not affect a beekeeper [who] participates in a hobby that really goes way back in our Texas heritage.”

Metcalf said beekeeping is a rapidly growing hobby throughout the state. The Montgomery County Beekeeping Association has seen a dramatic increase in enrollment—going from just a handful of families a few years ago to more than 150 families in the organization in 2014, said former association President Leesa Hyder.

“We were seeing some increased enforcement of those regulations at farmers markets and church fairs,” Hyder said. “What we were concerned about was that as people became more aware of what was required and the increased enforcement, it would discourage people from continuing in the hobby or taking up the hobby. That is why we felt it needed to be addressed now.”

Hyder said the bill allows hobbyists to remain in compliance with the law without the commercial regulations that govern large-scale production. The bill indirectly benefits customers who use local honey to keep their allergies in check.

“This gives local hobby beekeepers a way to sell their product in a limited direct customer relationship and be in compliance with the law,” Hyder said. “A lot of people want local honey if they have a lot of outdoor allergies. Those people need to have honey from the area from which they live because the bees are foraging on pollen in their area.”