Krazy about cake- excellent idea!

Hi Everyone,

Ok I couldn't stand it anymore not seeing the bill move so I contacted Teddi Creamer, Policy Chief and asked her what was going on. Teddi explained that the bill went to the senate and they removed everything the house introduced and the house returned it ("Returned Message") blank the same way as the senate sent it to them. So bottom line this bill will be decided by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House. They have to work out the budget first before they can complete the passing of the bill onto the governor. Teddi told me that this must be completed within the next 13 days. I asked her if it look good and if it will pass and she said it did look good and the Speaker of the House is trying his hardest to get the bill passed.

Teddi also mention that the Cottage Food was added along with the other professions because they didn't have a another bill to support it so they felt incorporating it with all the other professions versa by it's selfso it would pass without a problem.

So we have to wait another 13 days before we know what happens. I strongly suggest we all email the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House to support this bill. I'm not worried about the Speaker he already is doing everything he can. When I emailed the President of the Senate he said he would keep my letter in mind when the bill comes up. So please send your emails to the President of the Senate.

I had an idea once the bill passes we send a cupcake to the Senate and House as a Thank You, but, make sure you label it as required per the bill. Wouldn't that be a blast we could send it on the same day so they would receive them on the same day.

I will definately write a letter!! Showering them with cupcakes (properly labeled, of course) would be so FUN! Great idea!

Thank you SO much for all of the updates and work you have done to get this started.

Please note that if you use the initial email address listed on the "Office of Presidents" main page, it will kick back. Not a good address. If however, you click on either of the "Quick Links" listed directly beneath his name, you will get his correct email contact. I had contacted him earlier on in the year regarding a totally different issue and had the same issues. HTH

When writing to the President of the Senate make sure you include the bill number CS/HB 5007 so he knows what you are talking about.

Here is his email [email protected]

But of course, we should wait until 7/1 to make the cupcake so it's really legal!!!! LOL

Thanks! I sent an email!

Omg I'm so nervous to hear the results!!! I'm sending my email

Good luck to the Floridians from Texas! Maybe if you shower them with cupcakes, they can do some nudging to get Texas moving in the right direction!

I am happy to tell you I was following the bill and the Senate Passed the Cottage Food Act. All that has to be done is next Friday the House and Senate vote on it than it goes to the Governer. Teddi Creamer told me this is just formality and Friday is the last day of the session and this is normal. The Cottage Food Act will be come law once the Governor signs it and it will be effective July 1, 2011.

Thank you to everyone that helped and supported me and kept me going. WE DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YAAAAYYY!!! That is fantastic news! Thank you so much, Barbara!

Thank you so much for all your hard work! So many people (myself included) will be/are incredibly grateful!!!!! I can't wait to get going this summer!!!!

CONGRATULATIONS! WOOOOOO-HOOOOOOO! Awesome!

Awesome! This is outstanding beyond words!

This is Fantastic news!!! Thank you so much for your hard work . Just a couple more months now!! YAAAAYYYY!!!!

Wow wow wow YAY!!!! Thank you so much for all you have done!!

Outstanding, thank you for all your hard work and dedication, truly appreciate it!!!!!!!

I just watched the Cottage Food Bill being voted on for the last time and it passed out of the House and Senate and is now going to the Governor to sign into law. The Governor has two weeks the most to sign the bill.

Happy Baking/Cooking Florida
Barbara Schmal

Ok Hello Everyone, I'm sorry I didn't get to post an update before everyone tried to figure out what happened.

OK, the bill we all were watching CS/HB 5007 did NOT pass. I was shocked as I watch the senate denay the passing of this bill. The house and senate passed the bill two weeks ago and when it came down to the final voting the Senate didn't pass the bill and both houses had to pass the bill for it to go to the Governor.

Right after the Senate voted Teddi Creamer, Policy Chief called me within seconds and said, they included the Cottage Food Bill in another bill CS/HB 7009 which did pass and it has gone onto the Governor to sign. Once he signs it the Cottage Food Act it will be effective July 1, 2011.

This bill is the SAME exact bill that was in the other bill 5007. You can read the bill at http://www.flsenate.gov/Sessio.....ext/er/PDF it
starts on Page 26 Line 728. It first talks about Food Establishments which is different than the Cottage Food Act. Nothing changed from the original Cottage Food Bill all the same requirements, $15,000 gross sales, no selling on internet, wholesale or mail order etc etc

I hope this clarifies the confusion.

Barbara

Barbara, thank you so much for keeping us imform. I hope it will not be long before we can bake legally from our homes! Thank you for all your hardwork!
God bless you!

Ciao

Barbara---I have looked and looked and looked and cannot find anything relating to this new bill. The link you attached states there's no such bill. Was it a mistype?

Paul

Found it!!!!

It's CS/HB 7209, not 7009.

Paul

I'm really excited about this! My lease agreement on my commercial space ends in JUne, so it's all right on time for me. Once it is an actual law though, then what? What safety course is required? Who do you contact to make sure you are legal if there is no licensing requirement?

Awesome work everyone who dove into this in FLorida!

Jennzoe333, the cottage food act makes you exempt for state licensing and state inspections. All you need is an occupational license from the town you reside. Once the Governor signs the bill it will be effective July 1st. You can go to the governors website and look for bill CS/HB 7209 and see if he signed it. So far it has not been presented to him yet. He is going through every bill that had passed during the legislation session. If you want to read the bill and what it will allow you to do Google Florida CS/HB 7209 or Florida Cottage Food. I have posted the bill several times as it was being passed in the Senate and House, it is posted on this site.

Sweet Guys thank you for pointing out my type regarding the bill number. It is CS/HB 7209.

Yes, I read the bill. I was just a little confused as somewhere in this post it mentions having to take a food safety course. I didn't see anywhere in the bill that this was a requirement. Am I correct?

Jennzoe333 Yes you are correct about ready taking a food safety class. That was an amendment that one of the House representatives put it but, after further discussions they removed it. Everything you need to know is in the bill that is going to the governor. Do not read or believe anything else what is in the bill will be law. Once the bill is signed and effective July 1st and you still have question than you will need to contact the Dept. of Agriculture and basicly they will tell you exactly the same thing that is in the bill. The bill is very basic and very easy to understand. Too many people start to read into the bill. As example the bill state you cannot sell on the Internet, Mail Order or Wholesale, this does NOT mean you cannot have a website to advertise your business what you cannot have is a shopping cart to place orders on the internet. I wouldn't do that too risky, for spoilage and breakage even for cookies or candy. People are very fusy when it comes to food looking good and tasting good. If you want to sell on the internet, mail order or wholesale, than you need to stay to stay in your Commercial Kitchen and follow the "Food Establishment" requirements.

Ok, so I read the same thing you did. It seemed very straight forward to me as well. I was just checking to see if I was right, really. LOL Yes, I don't have a shopping cart on my website now, and probably never would anyway. My business is very personal and very local. Thank you SO much for the information.

Your welcome, oh by the way, I am the one that headed up getting this bill done and onto the Governor. A lot of people helped by writing to their State Representatives. I am glad that I wrote to Dean Cannon Speaker of the House who actually is the person that made this happen for all of us. Once the Governor signs the bill, it would be a nice gesture for everyone to email the Speaker and say Thank You.

Thank you SO much for your hard work. Yes, I wrote to my legislators after reading about it on this thread. You should be super proud of yourself for this. This is really major! I would be happy to do anything you ask at this point. LOL