Michigan raw milk bills move for further consideration by House Rules Committee

A package of bills allowing farmers to sell raw milk directly to customers is one step closer to a vote on the Michigan House floor, after members of the House Government Operations Committee referred the packages to the Committee on Rules. 

Last week, state Rep. Matt Maddock (R-Milford) welcomed small farmers from across the state to offer their support for his House Bills 5217–5219, with multiple supporters arguing that the bills would allow consumers to make their own choices, while acknowledging any risks that come with consuming raw milk.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Academy of Pediatrics and experts at Harvard Medical and other institutions warn against consuming raw milk as it has not been pasteurized – a quick heating process which kills disease-causing germs. 

These bacteria can cause foodborne illness, with symptoms like diarrhea, stomach cramping, alongside more severe outcomes like paralysis, kidney failure, stroke and death.

While Michigan law blocks farmers from selling unpasteurized milk, residents can acquire raw milk through herd shares. Under these agreements, members either pay for an animal’s board or purchase a share of the animal, in exchange for milk from the cow.

Maddock’s bills would allow farmers to sell unpasteurized milk directly to customers, while establishing product and labeling standards and requiring a waiver for individuals purchasing the milk.

Committee members voted along party lines to send the bills to the Rules Committee, with Democrats voting in opposition. 

Rep. Mike McFall (D-Hazel Park), offered a substitute to House Bill 5218, requiring farmers to include a list of the most common bacteria found in raw milk on the label, alongside warnings that certain consumers – including children under 5, adults older than 65, pregnant women and adults with weakened immune systems – are at higher risk for illness if they consume raw milk. 

The committee rejected the amendment along party lines.

Rep. John Fitzgerald (D-Wyoming), the committee’s minority vice chair, also offered a substitute for House Bill 5219. Fitzgerald’s version of the bill sought to bar farmers from providing free samples of raw milk products, prevent them from selling raw milk to individuals under 19 and prevent them from donating raw milk to food pantries or food banks. 

The committee’s Republican majority also voted to reject Fitzgerald’s amendment.