New Hampshire GMO Labeling Bill Rejected by House Committee but Will Still be Voted on by House

On November 6, the New Hampshire House Environment and Agriculture Committee in a 12-8 vote recommended that the full House reject HB 0660 which would require the labeling of food products containing genetically modified organisms.  The bill was primarily opposed by Republican committee members.  The bill will go to the full House in January for a floor vote.

Under HB 0660, products produced with genetic engineering will be deemed misbranded if not labeled as such.  The bill would also require the attorney general to publish on the AG website a list of raw agricultural commodities known to be genetically engineered.  HB 0660 would require the commissioner of agriculture, markets and foods to adopt rules establishing best practices for farmers who raise GM crops.

Media sources report that passing the bill is instrumental in the enactment of Maine’s GMO labeling law which requires five other contiguous state pass similar labeling laws before it can go into effect.

For more information on the bill, visit the New Hampshire House of Representatives website for the full text of the bill, status, and docket.

Written by Alyssa Looney – Research Assistant

The Agricultural Law Resource and Reference Center

@PSUAgLawCenter

November 18, 2013

The First Public Meeting for the 2013 Farm Bill is Scheduled for Today

On October 23, the House and Senate Agriculture Committee announced that the first public meeting for the 2013 Farm Bill conference committee will be held on October 30 at 1:00 p.m. eastern time.  The meeting will be discussing House Resolution 2642.

Click here for a copy of the Press Release.

Click here to watch the live stream of the meeting on the House Agriculture Committee website.

Written by Joseph Negaard - Research Assistant

The Agricultural Law Resource and Reference Center

@PSUAgLawCenter

October 30, 2013

Kauai Limits Use of Pesticides on Genetically Modified Crops

Legislators on the Hawaiian island of Kauai approved have approved a bill that would restrict the use of pesticides by companies developing genetically modified crops on the island.  The Kauai County Council voted 6-to-1 to pass the bill on October 16^th after a hearing that lasted a day and a half.

The island has become a popular place for growing new varieties of corn and other genetically modified crops for the production of seeds due to its warm weather allowing for three corn harvests a year.  DuPont Pioneer, Sygenta, Dow, and BASF all grow corn on the island.

The bill would establish no-spray zones around schools, medical facilities, homes, public roads, and waterways.  It would also require seed companies to disclose which pesticides they use.  The original bill would have also limited genetically modified crop planting, but those provisions were eventually removed from the bill after seed companies argued that the original bill would have forced them off the island.  Seed companies also threatened to challenge the original bill in court.

The text of the original bill can be found here.  The New York Times article reporting the bill approval can be found here.

Written by Alyssa Looney – Research Assistant

The Agricultural Law Resource and Reference Center

@PSUAgLawCenter

October 25, 2013

Raw Milk Update: Maine Governor Vetoes Bill that Would Have Exempted Small Farmers’ Raw Milk From Licensing and Inspection

On July 8, 2013, Maine Governor Paul LePage vetoed LD  1282, entitled “An Act To Help Small Farmers in Selling Raw Milk Products.”  Upon return to the Maine Senate on July 9, the Senate voted not to overturn the Governor’s veto of the bill.

Currently, dairy producers in Maine must apply to the state for licensing and both their facilities and products must undergo inspections.  This regulation applies to both pasteurized and raw dairy products.  LD 1282 would have exempted small dairy producers, those who produce less than 20 gallons of raw milk daily, from the licensing and inspection regulations.  The Maine Legislature passed this bill in June, after the measure was amended to require raw milk producers to test their product regularly, under guidelines set by the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry.

In his statement concerning the veto, Gov. LePage expressed his support for the majority of the content in the bill, but stated that his concern was the inclusion of provisions which would allow raw milk producers to sell their product at farmers’ markets.  LePage stated that he would support a modified version of the bill which permitted “on Farm only” sales of raw milk.

For more information, please see the Maine Legislature’s website on LD 1282 and the Current Issues section of the Agricultural Law Resource and Reference Center’s website.

Written By Gaby Gilbeau – Research Assistant

The Agricultural Law Resource and Reference Center

July 17, 2013