Senate approves measure to protect producers' personal information

OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. Warren Hamilton, R-McCurtain, received approval from the full Senate for House Bill 2975 Monday. The measure allows homemade food product producers to obtain a permit from the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry (ODAFF), which will protect their privacy by reducing the amount of personal information they are required to include on their product labels.

“This legislation was brought forth after an Oklahoma producer shared their story of being stalked and harassed by an individual who obtained their information from the label on a food product they sold,” Hamilton said. “This measure helps protect the privacy of our state’s producers in hopes of preventing similar instances going forward, while also ensuring consumers still have information to reference if an issue needs to be reported to ODAFF.”

Under HB 2975, producers could pay $15 to ODAFF, and would be provided a registration number, which can be listed on their product labels in place of the producer’s name, phone number, and address.

Rep. Rick West, R- Heavener, is the House author of HB 2975. Upon being signed into law, the provisions of the bill would become effective Nov. 1 of this year.

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For more information, contact: Sen. Warren Hamilton at 405-521-5604, or email Warren.Hamilton@oksenate.gov.