House approves bill allowing on‑farm sales of unpasteurized milk with labeling requirements

The Oklahoma House approved HB 30-56, a bill to legalize on‑farm sales of unpasteurized cow, goat and sheep milk and related products, after a lengthy floor exchange about safety, labeling and regulatory responsibility.

Representative Harden, the bill sponsor, said the measure restores choice for consumers and supports small dairy producers. "This is simply a choice," Harden told colleagues, adding that many Oklahomans already consume raw milk and that producers and market owners bear liability if temperature or cleanliness standards are not maintained.

Opponents and questioners pressed on public‑health safeguards and whether retail refrigerators would require Department of Agriculture oversight. Representative McCain asked whether there are existing rules on transport and storage; Harden replied that containers sold at markets must be conspicuously labeled 'unpasteurized' and that liability generally remains with the producer or retailer if handling standards are not met. Representative Waldron proposed required warning labels; Harden answered that pasteurization is the process that would eliminate the need for such warnings.

The Department of Agriculture's position was described on the floor as neutral, and sponsors said no additional state inspection regime was being created for retail outlets. After extended questioning and exchanges, the House passed HB 30-56 by a vote of 83 yeas to 11 nays.

The bill directs sellers to mark unpasteurized milk containers and does not create a statewide refrigeration inspection program in the versions discussed on the floor; sponsors said liability and market enforcement would address safety concerns. The next step is enrollment and transmission to the Senate or gubernatorial action as required by the legislative process.