Committee Summary for House Environment and Agriculture (11/05/2025)

Bill/Time	Type	Title	Sponsor
HB396 2024-1453h 00:09:23.519 - 9:08:04 AM	General Working Session	(New Title) relative to the processing of beef cows, swine, sheep, and goats at facilities not certified by the United States Department of Agriculture.	Comtois, Barbara(R)[B+]2025

HB396 2024-1453h: Representative Comtois Information Only00:09:23.519 - 9:08:04 AM; Representative Comtois explains the amendment to HB 396, addressing concerns from the previous session by limiting the number of animals processed monthly, adding a disclaimer on page three about violating federal law and potential prosecution for not processing at USDA facilities, incorporating beef cows, swine, sheep, or goats into the existing section for bison, elk, and red deer, referencing RSAs for labeling and food safety, and emphasizing registration with the Department of Agriculture. He clarifies that struck items in the amendment were not intended to be removed and offers to address questions.
HB396 2024-1453h: Representative Bixby Information Only00:11:43.920 - 9:10:24 AM; Representative Bixby expresses concerns about struck paragraphs in the amendment, particularly subsection C on refrigeration requirements and herd health checks, insisting they be reinstated for support. He supports excluding ground meat from amenable species for risk reduction, suggests a notarized waiver on file with the farmer instead of registration with the department to avoid contradicting federal law, and notes the commissioner's prior discomfort with departmental involvement.
HB396 2024-1453h: Representative Miner Support00:16:20.000 - 9:15:01 AM; Representative Miner shares information on Joel Salatin's work on federal processing and mentions the PRIME Act's relevance, indicating growing momentum for such changes at federal and state levels. Later, he discusses requiring insurance for processors, but the commissioner notes insurance may not cover federal law violations. He argues the bill promotes food safety and local availability, counters comparisons to Upton Sinclair's 'The Jungle,' and suggests few would risk selling improperly processed meat due to liability.
HB396 2024-1453h: Representative Gruber Information Only00:17:31.120 - 9:16:12 AM; Representative Gruber supports the concept but raises concerns about labeling language claiming exemption from federal inspections, suggesting 'does not include' instead of 'exempt' to avoid overstepping authority. He questions whether adding amenable species allows claiming federal exemption and later asks how to support small farmers in navigating scheduling challenges with inspected facilities, advocating for industry solutions over government intervention.
HB396 2024-1453h: Representative Scully Information Only00:18:33.440 - 9:17:14 AM; Representative Scully suggests specifying 'federal prosecution' in the disclaimer on page three to clarify the state is not pursuing action. Later, as a newer member, he asks basic questions about the department's inspection role and proposes state-level inspectors to secure the local food supply, seeking the commissioner's views on ensuring safety without federal involvement.
HB396 2024-1453h: Sean Jasper, Commissioner of Agriculture Oppose00:20:42.400 - 9:19:23 AM; Commissioner Jasper strongly opposes the bill, citing consumer protection risks, lack of safeguards, and violation of federal law, warning of potential USDA withdrawal of all federal inspections in the state. He emphasizes no sanitary inspections for amenable species, references past issues like the Boar's Head outbreak under state inspection, stresses the need for registration and clear labeling, shares a family story on federal law consequences, and advocates for the PRIME Act federally. He discusses custom-exempt options, insurance unavailability, traceability issues, and urges industry collaboration for scheduling rather than sacrificing safety, noting few direct complaints received.
HB396 2024-1453h: Representative Germana Information Only00:30:49.440 - 9:29:30 AM; Representative Germana appreciates refinements like limiting scale and labeling for traceability, questions if market forces and business reputation mitigate safety risks for restaurants, and notes labeling must differ from non-amenable species exemptions. He acknowledges the commissioner's concerns about relying on good actors.
HB396 2024-1453h: Representative Howard Information Only00:35:30.160 - 9:34:11 AM; Representative Howard inquires about inspector shortages and notes scheduling issues for small farmers due to limited facilities. He follows up on traceability risks in a domino effect if contamination occurs, highlighting challenges in tracking non-USDA processed meat compared to inspected sources.
HB396 2024-1453h: Representative Kawa Information Only00:53:20.960 - 9:52:01 AM; Representative Kawa emphasized the importance of traceability for selling cuts of meat from small farms, suggesting limitations to cut meats to avoid issues with ground meat. She noted the bill restricts small farms to processing a limited number of animals (three beef cows, five swine, or ten goats/sheep monthly), aiding traceability. She addressed concerns about restaurants buying from trusted sources and offered to redraft the amendment to incorporate discussed changes. Kawa highlighted ongoing issues at a USDA facility involving improper storage and processing of meat, underscoring that even inspected facilities can have problems. She advocated for sanitary conditions in the bill but stressed farmers' concern for reputation in New Hampshire's small community.
HB396 2024-1453h: Unidentified (possibly Chair) Information Only00:57:21.200 - 9:56:02 AM; The speaker thanked the commissioner for his comments and appreciated his time and input during the discussion.
HB396 2024-1453h: Commissioner (unidentified) Information Only00:57:21.200 - 9:56:02 AM; The commissioner thanked the committee for the opportunity to speak and for the latitude given in his testimony.
HB396 2024-1453h: Representative Bixby Support00:57:21.200 - 9:56:02 AM; Representative Bixby expressed no issue with the commissioner's department storing waivers or affidavits, indicating support for this aspect of the proposal.
HB396 2024-1453h: Representative Comar Information Only00:57:21.200 - 9:56:02 AM; Representative Comar offered to go to Office of Legislative Services (OLS) to draft an amendment that morning and inquired about recessing or scheduling for next week.
HB396 2024-1453h: Representative Bixby Information Only00:58:38.480 - 9:57:19 AM; Representative Bixby preferred scheduling an executive session for next Wednesday to allow time for amendment drafting and review, noting uncertainty on timing.
HB396 2024-1453h: Unidentified (possibly Chair) Information Only00:58:38.480 - 9:57:19 AM; The speaker proposed scheduling the next work and executive session for November 12th at 11:00 AM, given a conflicting meeting at 2:30. They thanked Representative Comar for working on the amendment and scheduled the meeting accordingly, then closed the work session on HB 396.

Aron, Judy(Chairman)(R)[A-]2025	King, Seth(Clerk)(R)[B+]2025	Barbour, Liz(V Chairman)(R)[B+]2025
Gruber, James(D)[F]2025	Bixby, Peter(D)[F]2025	Sofikitis, Catherine(D)[D-]2025
Freeman, Lisa(R)[B+]2025	Comtois, Barbara(R)[B+]2025	Scully, Kevin(R)[A-]2025
Howard, Molly(D)[D]2025	Wheeler, Jonah(D)[D-]2025	Haskins, Linda(D)[F]2025
Potenza, Kelley(R)[A]2025	Kenny, Catherine(R)[B]2025	Germana, Nicholas(D)[F]2025
Miner, Laurence(R)[B]2025