House Bill 277 Alabama 2026 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Margie WilcoxRepresentative

Republican

Session

2026 Regular Session

Title

Seafood; oyster aquaculture, licensees authorized to serve oysters at facility

Summary

HB277 would allow oyster aquaculture licensees to harvest, shuck, and serve oysters from their facilities for no-cost product tastings starting October 1, 2026.

What This Bill Does

The bill creates an exception that lets oyster aquaculture licensees harvest, shuck, and serve oysters from their own facilities for product tasting. Product tasting is defined as giving free samples to customers to judge taste and texture. It also clarifies that this authorization does not bypass other harvest restrictions or all permit/licensure requirements, and it becomes effective on October 1, 2026.

Who It Affects

• Oyster aquaculture licensees: would be allowed to harvest, shuck, and serve oysters at their facilities specifically for no-cost product tastings.
• Consumers and visitors: would be able to sample oysters at these facilities without paying, under the product tasting framework.

Key Provisions

• Authorizes oyster aquaculture licensees to harvest, shuck, and serve oysters from the aquaculture facility for product tasting.
• Defines 'product tasting' as providing oysters at no cost to the consumer for sampling to determine qualities such as taste and texture.
• States that this authorization is notwithstanding existing laws or rules, including permit or licensure requirements, but does not exempt harvest restrictions under Section 9-12-126.
• Effective date: October 1, 2026.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 11, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Health