A Missouri state legislator wants to give people the right to sell farm-produced products directly to the consumer without any interference from state or local regulatory agencies. House Bill 866 is similar to the fast-moving Wyoming “Food Freedom Act,” which unanimously passed the House in Cheyenne late last month and is now in line for possible action on the Senate floor. The Wyoming Legislature is scheduled to adjourn March 6. Missouri State Rep. Mike Moon (R-Ash Grove) is sponsoring HB 866, but he has not managed to get it scheduled or assigned on a House calendar. Elected in 2013, Moon lives on a farm in Lawrence County, MO. “As a farmer, Mike has experienced the struggles food producers face to maintain a viable business in a down economy and he has made the tough decisions necessary to stay in business,” according to his campaign biography. “He has also realized the success and satisfaction that results in providing a quality product to America’s tables.” His campaign website also notes that Moon is “committed to retaining and returning freedoms to the citizens of Missouri.” Moon’s “farm-direct goods” bill runs only about a page, much shorter than the 9-page Wyoming “Food Freedom Act.” It states that Missouri residents “must have the right” to buy or purchase directly from the seller “any farm-direct goods” produced in the state. The bill also declares that the seller of farm-produced goods “must retain the right to choose” whether or not the farm-direct goods and sales of those goods must be subject to regulation by the state, any political subdivision of the state, or any state or local regulatory agency. If a seller opts out of regulation, potential buyers must be provided with notice in the form of signs, labels on packages, or verbally “that the farm-direct goods are not subject to regulation.” The buyer then “retains the responsibility” that the farm-direct goods meet with the buyer’s approval. Moon’s bill ends by asserting that the state and its political subdivisions, or any state or local agency, “must not interfere or otherwise attempt to regulate the sale and purchase of farm-direct goods not subject to regulation under [the bill’s] provisions.” Finally, it states that the bill is not intended to provide immunity from liability for any actions of gross negligence. Moon, who serves on four House committees, including agricultural appropriations, has plenty of time to move his bill. The Missouri General Assembly is not scheduled to adjourn until May 30. The Wyoming “Food Freedom Bill” was listed on Tuesday’s second-reading calendar in the Senate as “laid back,” which means it could still get the Senate floor votes it needs anytime during the next 10 days before adjournment.