Contact Your Local State Legislator About
Maryland's Standard of Identity for Honey, House Bill 809
Maryland's HB-809 offers a definition of honey, an honest attempt to protect Maryland beekeepers and consumers from fraudulent adulteration. It has passed the House and is being considered by Senate Committee.
The bill is well intentioned, and a definition is sorely needed, but HB-809 needs some corrections to be acceptable. The current version is here:
http://mlis.state.md.us/2011rs/amds/bil_0009/hb0809_99091301.pdf
The current law is based on Florida's anti-adulteration statute, but errors and real problems have crept in. For example, a standard ratio of fructose to glucose of 0.9 used in the Florida code has slid to 0.9% in Maryland — an impossibility for honey! Another nonsensical mistake is that Florida allows for heather honey to have a moisture content of 23%, all others must have less than 20%. The Maryland bill allows for all honeys to have a 23% moisture content, which would cause most of it to ferment and spoil!
Another concern is that HB809 does not allow for filtering pollen from honey: if you filter your honey, it is no longer honey according to this bill! In HB809, creamed honey is not considered honey, and while it requires that honey be from nectar, that nectar need not necessarily come from plants, and it need not necessarily be cured by bees!
Some resources you can use:
hb0809_99091301.pdf (latest text of the bill)
www.codexalimentarius.net/download/standards/310/cxs_012e.pdf (the original WHO document which was the basis for the law)
Comment on MD House Bill 809.doc (Comments sent to Senator Reilly)
WEcommentsHB809.doc (Master Beekeeper Wayne Esaias' additional comments)
HB809 Senators to contact.doc (downloadable legislator contact info)
Please contact the legislators below to request that they revisit these discrepancies and many others pointed out by the beekeeping community's experts and associations. The first five committee members listed are from our own club's area, and we have a great chance to champion the cause for the entire Maryland beekeeping community!
Sen. Edward Reilly, Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Environment, Health and Education,
Republican, District 33, Anne Arundel County
James Senate Office Building, Room 321
11 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 841-3568, (301) 858-3568
1-800-492-7122, ext. 3568 (toll free)
e-mail: edward.reilly@senate.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3067, (301) 841-3067
Joanne C. Benson
Democrat, District 24, Prince George's County
James Senate Office Building, Room 214
11 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 841-3148, (301) 858-3148
1-800-492-7122, ext. 3148 (toll free)
e-mail: joanne.benson@senate.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3149, (301) 858-3149
Paul G. Pinsky
Democrat, District 22, Prince George's County
James Senate Office Building, Room 220
11 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 841-3155, (301) 858-3155
1-800-492-7122, ext. 3155 (toll free)
e-mail: paul.pinsky@senate.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3144, (301) 858-3144
James C. Rosapepe
Democrat, District 21, Prince George's County & Anne Arundel County
James Senate Office Building, Room 314
11 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 841-3141, (301) 858-3141
1-800-492-7122, ext. 3141 (toll free)
e-mail: jim.rosapepe@senate.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3195, (301) 858-3195
e-mail: senator.rosapepe@inbox.com
Bryan W. Simonaire
Republican, District 31, Anne Arundel County
James Senate Office Building, Room 414
11 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 841-3658, (301) 858-3658
1-800-492-7122, ext. 3658 (toll free)
e-mail: bryan.simonaire@senate.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3586, (301) 858-3586
Ronald N. Young
Democrat, District 3, Frederick & Washington Counties
James Senate Office Building, Room 316
11 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 841-3575, (301) 858-3575
1-800-492-7122, ext. 3575 (toll free)
e-mail: ronald.young@senate.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3193, (301) 858-3193
Bill Ferguson
Democrat, District 46, Baltimore City
Miller Senate Office Building, 2 West Wing
11 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 841-3600, (301) 858-3600
1-800-492-7122, ext. 3600 (toll free)
e-mail: bill.ferguson@senate.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3161, (301) 858-3161
J. B. Jennings
Republican, District 7, Baltimore County & Harford County
James Senate Office Building, Room 416
11 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 841-3706, (301) 858-3706
1-800-492-7122, ext. 3706 (toll free)
e-mail: jb.jennings@senate.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3750, (301) 858-3750
Karen S. Montgomery
Democrat, District 14, Montgomery County
James Senate Office Building, Room 202
11 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 841-3625, (301) 858-3625
1-800-492-7122, ext. 3625 (toll free)
e-mail: karen.montgomery@senate.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3056, (301) 858-3056