Bill > HB624

This bill revises Montana's laws regarding hobbyist apiaries (beekeeping operations) by making several key changes to existing regulations. Specifically, the bill increases the maximum number of hives a hobbyist beekeeper can own from 5 to 10 hives, and expands the number of allowable hobbyist apiary site registrations from one to five for an individual, and from two to five for a family unit. The bill maintains existing requirements that the applicant must own the bees and hives, and personally manage and operate them. Additionally, the bill preserves the current prohibition on leasing, assigning, or transferring the certificate of registration, ensuring that only the registered hobbyist can exercise the rights and privileges granted by the registration. These changes appear designed to provide more flexibility for small-scale beekeepers by allowing them to maintain more hives and register more sites while keeping the core regulatory framework intact.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://bills.legmt.gov/#/laws/bill/2/LC2413