HB1186

Hello honorable members of the committee, I am writing to encourage you to set this bill (HB1186) as ITL as it updates our regulations regarding poultry egg sales to be just as stringent as FDA/USDA grading, storage, and cleaning. This would effectively make it so that only large scale commercial operations of eggs could meet these requirements; Making it nearly impossible for the thousands of community/homestead sellers of eggs to offer this vital community service. I am one such provider of poultry eggs, and meeting these requirements would cost me tens of thousands of dollars, risking the lives of my animals if i fail to be compliant. Additionally, this legislation was requested at the behest of a regulatory agency - NOT out of a request from constituents. Any time legislation is proposed on behalf of enforcement agencies it should be given substantially more scrutiny. Thank you for your time and consideration to this matter. Sincerely, Brandon Stevens Northfield NH

This bill is yet another example of government overreach and a violation of food freedoms, as well and impingement on the right of farmers to sell local fresh eggs

Overreach!

I am respectfully requesting that you oppose bill HB1186, for the following reasons: - It imposes costly compliance burdens on small egg producers, while favoring larger operations and driving higher prices and fewer local food choices, with no clear evidence of improved safety, at a time when affordability is already a major concern for New Hampshire families. - It violates basic property and economic freedom by forcing private individuals to follow state mandated handling and labeling rules for goods they lawfully produce and exchange. - It expands top-down regulatory control over agriculture by mirroring federal USDA standards and adding new mandates, undermining voluntary markets, innovation, and community-based food systems.

I strongly oppose HB1186 and recommend "inexpedient to legislate" or significant amendments.This bill piles on new rules—refrigeration for all eggs (including unwashed nest run), mandatory producer contact on packages, USDA ties for grading—yet there's zero evidence of problems in New Hampshire. No salmonella outbreaks, no consumer complaints, no crises from local or backyard egg sales. Unwashed eggs have been safely eaten for thousands of years thanks to the natural cuticle barrier. Why fix what isn't broken? Small homesteaders and family farms shouldn't face extra costs (coolers, labels, fines up to $5,000) for no real gain. Federal rules already exempt flocks under 3,000 hens—NH should too. Shoppers wanting washed, graded, refrigerated eggs have plenty at grocery stores. Let locals keep the traditional, unprocessed choice. This feels like needless control, not safety. "Live Free or Die" applies to backyard eggs. Please kill the bill or amend to exempt small producers and direct/unwashed sales.

Good afternoon, Chair and members of the Environment and Agriculture Committee. My name is Brady Owens, and I live in Nashua, New Hampshire. I oppose HB1186 and urge a strong "inexpedient to legislate" vote or major amendments.This bill adds new regulations—mandatory refrigeration for all eggs (even nest run/unwashed), producer contact info on every package, and ties to USDA standards—without any demonstrated problem in New Hampshire. There are no recent salmonella outbreaks, consumer complaints, or enforcement crises tied to local egg sales, backyard flocks, or farm stands in our state. Eggs have been sold safely unwashed and unrefrigerated for thousands of years; the natural cuticle protects them. Humans thrived on them long before "modern" rules.Small producers and homesteaders already face enough burdens. Federal law exempts flocks under 3,000 hens from many requirements—why doesn't this bill? Adding compliance costs (coolers, labels, potential fines up to $5,000) will discourage local food freedom without improving safety. Consumers who want washed, graded, refrigerated eggs can buy them at any grocery store. Those who prefer fresh, local, unprocessed eggs should have that choice too. This isn't about health—it's unnecessary bureaucracy creeping into self-reliant NH traditions. "Live Free or Die" means keeping government hands off backyard eggs. Please kill this bill or amend it to: Exempt small producers (mirror federal <3,000 hens). Carve out unwashed/nest run eggs sold direct from refrigeration and labeling mandates. Thank you for your time. I'd be happy to answer questions. Brady Owens Nashua NH

Chair and Members of the Committee, I respectfully urge you to oppose HB 1186. While framed as a technical update, this bill represents a significant expansion of state control over small-scale, local food production—particularly backyard chicken keepers, neighborhood producers, and community-based sellers who are a growing and valued part of New Hampshire’s agricultural landscape. HB 1186 hard-codes USDA commercial egg standards into state law and applies them broadly, without regard to scale. Backyard chicken keepers and small producers who sell or donate eggs locally would be held to the same standards, inspection authority, and penalty structure as industrial operations. That is not proportional regulation. It is regulatory overreach. The bill dramatically expands enforcement power, including inspection, seizure, stop-sale orders, and stacked criminal, civil, and administrative penalties. A neighbor selling a dozen eggs at a farm stand or donating eggs to a local food pantry could face misdemeanor charges, escalating fines, or even felony exposure based on technical or subjective violations. That outcome is neither reasonable nor consistent with New Hampshire’s tradition of common-sense governance. This committee has historically supported local agriculture, self-reliance, and community food resilience. Backyard and neighborhood chicken keepers contribute to food security, education, and stronger local economies. HB 1186 discourages exactly that by raising the cost and risk of participation to a level only large producers can absorb. This bill is also fundamentally at odds with small-government principles. It centralizes authority, expands inspection and seizure powers, and criminalizes low-risk conduct that has long been handled through informal trust, direct relationships, and existing food safety laws. New Hampshire already has mechanisms to address adulterated or unsafe food. There is no demonstrated public health crisis justifying this level of intervention. Good regulation should be scaled, targeted, and necessary. HB 1186 is none of those. It treats community members like industrial actors and replaces local responsibility with punitive enforcement. For these reasons, I respectfully ask the committee to recommend HB 1186 as Inexpedient to Legislate. Thank you for your consideration.

absurd

I love buying farm fresh eggs from roadside farm stands. I don't want any new regulations on small, family owned farms in NH. It will increase egg prices. It will discourage farmers from selling or even donating eggs. And it won't make us safer. Let's focus on supporting locally grown food and NH farmers by making it easier to grow and sell food. Not harder.

In the same session where we're freeing the pickle from overzealous city people in Manchester, the state wants to stick its nose in the coolers at the end of hundreds or thousands of driveways in the state with regulating nest run eggs. Make it make sense. Neighbors know which of their neighbors sell good eggs. Leave the little people alone.

This is an over reach by this state to even think about this bill. We may not have chickens but we often get some from our neighbors who greatly help us out. That is what NH is about helping out our neighbors.

This is government over reach. If I have my own chickens and want to give my eggs away the steps put in place are too strong and will interfere with the community nevermind the ridiculous absurd high fines.

We do not this type of excessive government control in NH.

This bill is extreme government overreach, and there is absolutely no reason for it. NH needs to go back to being the Live Free or Die State! I am surprised that this bill is being proposed in our state, and I am disappointed that legislators are wasting taxpayer money entertaining it. People can make their own decisions, and do not need the government controlling them in the name of 'protecting' people or 'modernizing' an age-old practice. (Additionally, the eggs at local stands are not inherently dangerous).

The government should not control my property. At a time when prices are ridiculous due to corporate greed, NH residents are finding safe economical ways to make ends meet and the government wants to keep the strangle hold on us. What happened to live free or die? First you tried to tax bikes now you want to regulate our properties. Regulate commercial properties. Leave our homes alone. be refrigerated +3 In the United States, commercially produced eggs must be refrigerated to prevent bacterial growth (Salmonella) and maintain safety, as they are washed and lose their protective coating (the "bloom"). Refrigerated, store-bought eggs can last 3–5 weeks. Conversely, unwashed, farm-fresh eggs with the coating intact can sit on the counter..

I oppose this bill as it would lead to personal egg production subject to grossly unfair legislation. People have bee eating home grown chicken/duck/goose eggs for centuries. If you want to legislate something, legislate UPFs, sugar and additive soft drinks. Leave eggs alone!

I oppose this bill.

Dear committee members, HB 1186 is an act of gov't over reach. Believe it or not, neighbors should be able to choose to buy or sell from one another without gov't oversight and say so. A few points I'd like to make. 1-Why should I be required by law to label my eggs with my address? The people who buy eggs from me already know me. They know where I live. They can ask the conditions my chickens live in and can see there are size differences in eggs. I am very open I have different breeds of chickens. People who buy from local chicken tenders understand they aren't graded and when they get eggs in a Market Basket carton, the eggs aren't actually from MB (that is several rolled into 1). 2-Unwashed eggs do not need to be kept at 55 degrees F. What you would be requiring is special refrigeration to keep it above typical refrigeration temperature but well below room temp. Unwashed eggs are perfection safe at room temperature for several weeks. If customers don't want unwashed eggs/room temperature eggs, they can buy from someone that washes and refrigerates or just refrigerates unwashed eggs. This should be between buyer and seller, not the gov't deciding how we should do things. If we want to continue selling eggs, we can't sell product that goes bad-we are smart enough to understand this basic concept. I find it insulting that legislators feel they need to oversee interactions between neighbors; and that is what this is. Neighbors and friends buying local food from people and places they can talk face to face with. I urge you to find this bill ITL and stop this gov't over reach. Respectfully, Angela Turcotte Dover

New Hampshire residents deserve the right of self agency in areas concerning locally produced eggs. We are capable of discerning best practices based on individual needs of egg transport, sales, and trade. Additional regulations are unnecessary and are invasive of our culture.

This is a direct attack on people who responsibly and sustainably produce their own food.

Please oppose this ridiculous bill. New Hampshire has always been a farm-friendly state. Why destroy that positive reputation? Thank-You

What is happening to live free or die. This is corruption