Michigan Raw Milk Bills HB 5217–5219 Advance Through House Committees
A three-bill package that would legalize direct farm-to-consumer sales of raw milk in Michigan has cleared the House Government Operations Committee and the House Rules Committee, and is currently pending further House action. The bills were introduced in November 2025.
Michigan currently prohibits farmers from selling raw milk directly to consumers. Access to raw milk in the state is available through herdshare arrangements, in which consumers hold an ownership interest in a dairy animal. The bills would create a new legal pathway for direct farm-to-consumer sales outside of that structure.
The Three Bills
The package amends three separate statutes and is tied – all three must be enacted together to take effect.
House Bill 5217 amends the Grade A Milk Law of 2001 (2001 PA 266) to exempt direct farm-to-consumer producers from licensing requirements applicable to Grade A facilities, provided they comply with the safety standards established in HB 5219.
House Bill 5218 amends the Manufacturing Milk Law of 2001 (2001 PA 267) to allow direct farm-to-consumer producers to manufacture and sell raw milk and raw dairy products – including cream, buttermilk, and cheese – subject to the same food safety framework.
House Bill 5219 amends the Food Law of 2000 (2000 PA 92) to establish the actual regulatory structure for direct farm-to-consumer producers. It defines the category, sets safety, labeling, and record-keeping requirements, and prohibits retail store sales of raw milk under this pathway.
Committee Action
The House Government Operations Committee held a hearing on January 15, 2026, drawing testimony from small farmers, industry groups, state agency representatives, and academic experts. The committee advanced the bills on January 22. During the hearing, substitute amendments were offered that would have added expanded warning label requirements and imposed sales restrictions, including a bar on selling raw milk to individuals under 19 and a prohibition on donating raw milk to food banks. The committee rejected both substitutes.
The bills moved to the House Rules Committee, which cleared them for further consideration on January 22. As of late February 2026, the package remained pending before the full House.
Opposition and Support
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dairy Farmers of America, Michigan Agri-Business Association, and Michigan Dairy Foods Association all submitted opposition. Ashley Armstrong, a farmer near Kalamazoo who co-founded Nourish Food Club – a raw milk food club ordered by the state to dispose of raw dairy products in 2024 for regulatory violations – testified in support of the bills, framing the issue around consumer choice.
Background
Michigan is among the states where raw milk sales to consumers are not currently permitted outside of herdshare arrangements. For a map of raw milk availability and laws by state, see the Raw Milk Law Map.
