ND Alert on HB 1131: Support Raw Dairy Product Sales in North Dakota (Senate cmte)

Tell Senate Ag Cmte to Vote YES on HB 1131, Mar. 6th

Support Raw Dairy Product Sales in North Dakota

House Bill 1131 (HB 1131), legislation that would legalize unregulated sales of raw milk products direct from a farm to an “end consumer” passed the House and is now scheduled for a hearing Thursday, March 6th at 9:45 a.m. in theAgriculture and Veterans Affairs Committee.

Last session the state enacted legislation legalizing unregulated sales of raw milk from farmer direct to consumer; HB 1131 is a great opportunity to further expand consumer choice and enable the farmer to make a better living.

ACTION TO TAKE

1. Call and/or email Senate Agriculture and Veterans Affairs Committee members and ask that they vote YES on HB 1131. Below are Talking Points you may want to include in your message.

It is especially important to contact a committee member if you are a constituent; see individual list below. You may copy/paste this block of addresses to email all committee members:

lluick@ndlegis.gov; jmyrdal@ndlegis.gov; rlemm@ndlegis.gov; rmarcellais@ndlegis.gov; markweber@ndlegis.gov; kweston@ndlegis.gov

2. Attend the Thursday 9:45 a.m. hearing on March 6th and testify before the Senate Ag Committee and/or submit testimony through the online portal by 8:00 a.m. March 6th. Along with submission of written testimony, you may elect to testify remotely; instructions will be emailed to you.

Submit testimony (.pdf or .txt files) and register to testify remotely or in person at

https://ndlegis.gov/legend/committee/testimony/public-testimony/4860/?hearing=13378

Scroll down the webpage, enter your contact information then under “Agenda” select the appropriate options for “9:45 AM | HB 1131”.

In-Person Meeting Location:

Fort Union Room, ND State Capitol

600 East Boulevard Avenue

Bismarck, ND 58505

TALKING POINTS

1. Tell your story of how raw milk products have benefited your health or the health of your family member.

2. Raw milk products have a great track record for food safety. Products like raw butter and raw kefir have few, if any, illnesses attributed to their consumption.

3. Passage of HB 1131 would enable farmers to make a better living. Making products like raw yogurt and raw kefir generate a better return for the farms than do sales of fluid raw milk. There is booming demand not only for raw milk but for other raw dairy products as well.

4. The bill supports consumer choice. The consumption of all raw milk products is legal in North Dakota. Consumers should be able to obtain those products from North Dakota farmers.

Further alerts will be sent out on HB 1131 as events warrant.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Senate Agriculture and Veterans Affairs Committee for 2025 regular session –

https://ndlegis.gov/assembly/69-2025/committees/senate/agriculture-and-veterans-affairs

Please contact your senator directly if listed below. To find your legislator, enter your address “house number” only and your zip code then scroll down to your street address at
https://ndlegis.gov/legend/constituent/districts/public/find_my_legislator/

Sen. Larry Luick (R-25), Chairman

Fairmont, ND

Home 701-474-5959

lluick@ndlegis.gov

Sen. Janne Myrdal (R-19), Vice Chairman

Edinburg, ND

Cell 701-331-0946

jmyrdal@ndlegis.gov

Sen. Randy D. Lemm (R-20)

Hillsboro, ND

Home 701-636-5465

Cell 701-430-1536