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Update July 6, 2016: This bill was co-opted through the amendment process from its original form to serve as the legislative vehicle for genetically modified organism (GMOs) labeling standards. Originally, this legislation reauthorized the National Sea Grant College Program through 2021, with funding going to sea grant colleges, sea grant institutes, sea grant programs, and sea grant projects.

Then it served as the Senate version of the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act, which would let the FDA to create a nationwide, uniform system for reviewing and labeling genetically engineered foods before they go to market after studying the issue. It was proposed in response to contentious efforts by nearly 30 states to \nimplement their own GMO labeling regulations, this bill would allow the establishment of federal \nlabeling standards that preempt all state and local laws on the matter. The legislation was then replaced another similar GMO labeling proposal crafted by Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS) and Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI).

In its current form, this bill would require the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to create a national GMO labeling standard within two years which would supersede all state or local labeling requirements. All food manufacturers would be required to have a label related to GMO content of some sort was the FDA's standard goes into effect.

The FDA would be responsible for figuring out all aspects of the labeling standard — like when a disclosure is required and how it evaluates claims. Once a GMO product has made it through the federal review process, it would be treated as no more or less safe than an organic product. (Certified organic products would also be able to claim that they're \"non-GMO\").

The new GMO label could be required to take a number of forms, whether it's text or a symbol of some sort, or a bar code. Businesses would also have alternative ways to comply with the labeling requirement when dealing with small packages. Small food manufacturers would be given an extra year to comply with the eventual standard.

There would be noteworthy exceptions to the eventual national standard — meat and dairy products. Both wouldn't be required to have a GMO label simply because the animal that produced the meat or dairy may have eaten bioengineered feedstock. Restaurants also wouldn't be required to label food that they serve.

The federal government wouldn't have the power to recall products that don't comply with the standard, and this bill wouldn't create federal penalties for violations. It does, however, leave the door open for states creating their own punishments.

","official_title":"A bill to reauthorize and amend the National Sea Grant College Program Act, and for other purposes.","short_title":"A bill to reauthorize and amend the National Sea Grant College Program Act, and for other purposes.","popular_title":null,"short_summary":"(This measure has not been amended since the Senate agreed to the House amendment with an amendment on July 7, 2016. The summary of that version is repeated here.)\n\nThis bill amends the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 to establish a national mandatory bioengineered food disclosure standard. (Bioengineered food is commonly referred to as a genetically modified organism or GMO food.)\n\n(Sec. 1) Bioengineered food is food that that has been genetically modified in a way that could not be obtained through conventional breeding or found in nature.\n\nThe standard applies to any claim in a disclosure a food bears indicating that the food is bioengineered and to any food subject to the labeling requirements under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA).\n\nIt applies to foods subject to labeling requirements under the Federal Meat Inspection Act, the Poultry Products Inspection Act, or the Egg Products Inspection Act if: (1) the most predominant ingredient would independently be subject...","summarized":true,"cost":4000000,"cost_commentary":"The CBO estimates that implementing this bill would cost a total of about $4 million over the 2016-2020 period. It would also increase both direct spending and revenues by an estimated $1 million each annually, and as a result its net impact on the federal budget would be negligible.","impact":"Anyone who eats, advocates for and against GMO labeling; food, agricultural, and other businesses that must comply with the regulations; states or localities that would otherwise enact their own GMO labeling regulations; and the FDA.","argument_for":"National labeling standards would level the playing field for producers by avoiding a costly state-by-state patchwork of labeling regulations. This bill also gives consumers more information about their food and could save them over $500 per year.","argument_against":"Preventing states from keeping or enacting GMO labeling regulations that are stronger than the new federal standards ignores public opinion in places that want strict requirements. 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The markup determines whether the measure pending before a committee will be recommended to the full Senate, and whether it should be amended in any substantive way...In [some] cases, the markup vehicle may be placed before the committee as an \"amendment in the nature of a substitute\" for the measure or text initially referred to it.\" http://www.senate.gov/legislative/common/briefing/Senate_legislative_process.htm","page_title":"Co-opted Bills","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/co-opted-bills/black_co-opted-bills-1434065804.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/co-opted-bills/grey_co-opted-bills-1434065804.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/co-opted-bills/white_co-opted-bills-1434065804.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false},{"id":"economy","name":"Economy","slug":"economy","description":"The US Economy is heavily impacted by Federal legislation. 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Do State GMO Label Laws Need to be Blocked in Favor of a To Be Determined National Standard?