A bill that would protect beekeepers from liability for stings has passed the Ohio House.
Rep. Dick Stein of Norwalksponsored the bill. He says it would not only help beekeepers avoid expensive lawsuits, but also would allow for the state to track specific hives.
“They need to register their hive with the Ohio Department of Agriculture so that they have an awareness throughout the state of where all the hives are located. So when they’re trying to study colony collapse or other issues with mites or diseases, they can use that to maybe help with trends and patterns in certain localities," Stein said.
To benefit from the bill, the beekeepers will have to prove that they are complying with best practices and local zoning laws.
Stein is an amateur beekeeper himself, and his brother owns 700 hives.
The bill now moves on to the Senate.
