GMO Labeling Bill Passes House Agricultural Committee

  On July 14, 2015, the United States House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture approved Bill 1599, “The Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act of 2015.” 

  H.R. 1599 was originally introduced by Representatives Mike Pompeo (R-KS) and G.K. Butterfield (D-NC) on March 25, 2015 and was referred to the House committee on Agriculture and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.  According to a press release on the House Committee on Agriculture website, discussions between the two committees helped evolve the legislation.

  H.R. 1599 would create a national, uniform policy related to biotechnology labeling, preempting state labeling laws.  According to the press release, Chairman of the Agricultural Committee Michael Conaway (R-TX) commented, “The current patchwork system of varied labels interferes with the free flow of goods across the country, posing a real threat to interstate commerce and typically results in inconsistent and confusing information for consumers. Creating a uniform national policy regarding biotechnology labeling is the free market solution that will allow consumers access to meaningful information…”

Written by Katharine Richter - Research Assistant

July 14, 2015

Energy and Commerce Committee Holds Hearing on GMO Labeling Bill

On June 18, 2015, the United States House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on House Bill 1599, regarding the implementation of a national framework for the labeling of foods containing genetically-modified organisms (GMOs).

House Bill 1599 would create a voluntary labeling standard for foods containing GMOs. The bill would require USDA certification for a product to be labeled as non-GMO as well as requiring FDA safety approval for new genetically engineered traits in crops and products. The bill would also preempt any individual state laws regarding GMO labeling, such as Vermont’s mandatory labeling law.

Testimony was heard from both proponents and opponents of the bill. One proponent of House Bill 1599 stated that a national framework would protect farmers and agricultural cooperatives from a “hodgepodge of rules” that would be “unworkable.” Another testified that compliance with Vermont’s law is “really a nightmare” for manufacturers, requiring either product reformulation or creation of a separate line of product labeling for the state.  One proponent even testified that GMO labeling is meaningless, as all food products have been altered from their original state, stating that “it is a process, not a product.”

One opponent of the bill stated that the lack of a new safety approval process through the FDA leaves safety determinations in the hands of companies.  Another opponent testified that by preempting state laws, the bill interferes with the role of states “as laboratories of democracy to develop novel…experiments without risk to the rest of the country.”

To watch the full hearing, click here.

Written by Tyler R. Etter- Research Assistant

June 19, 2015