A bill to expand the Colorado Cottage Foods Act is scheduled to get its first hearing early next week.
The act allows people to sell certain products made in an unlicensed home kitchen directly to consumers.
House Bill 1102 seeks to broaden it. Republican Rep. Yeulin Willett of Grand Junction is one of the bill’s sponsors.
"That bill expands [the act] to include a number of different foods, but the main driver is pickled goods," Willett says.
Right now items like jams, spices, candies, whole eggs and certain baked goods are covered by the act.
The measure would add fruit empanadas, tortillas and pickled vegetables to the list of items people can make and sell from their homes.
The bill is scheduled to be heard by the House Public Health Care & Human Services Committee on Tuesday.
In the state Senate there’s also a separate bill that would affect the Cottage Foods Act.
It seeks to increase the amount of money a person can earn under the law.
It would raise the limit from $5,000 to $10,000.
Editor's Note: The broadcast version of this story states the income limit would be raised from $5,000 to $20,ooo under the state Senate bill. That measure was amended to change the income threshold from $5,000 to $10,000.
