GE in the News

Search Our Site

Enter your search keywords:

05/29/07 - Federal Pre-emption of Genetic Engineering

Members of Congress are currently considering the inclusion of federal Farm Bill language that would pre-empt state and local restrictions on genetic engineering and other agricultural regulations.

The House Agriculture Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy and Poultry last week included a provision in the draft Farm Bill that reads "...no State or locality shall make any law prohibiting the use in commerce of an article that the Secretary of Agriculture has (1) inspected and passed; or (2) determined to be of non-regulated status."

This sweeping language would override California's AB 541 if it passes (currently it is tabled in the Assembly Agriculture Committee until January 2008). It would also override several GE laws across the country, including the four county bans in California, a recent Washington law providing for the establishment of GE-free brassica production zones, and an Alaskan law requiring labeling of GE salmon. It could limit the ability of the rice industry in California and Arkansas to regulate rice varieties. GE-related regulations in more than a dozen states may be overruled by this language. It could also stop states from prohibiting the sale of USDA-inspected e.coli-tainted ground beef, as well as a variety of animal welfare state laws.

This language will next be considered in the full Agriculture Committee the week of June 20th. The Farm Bill will likely not be debated on the floor of the House, and the recommendations of the committee will likely prevail. The time to stop this pre-emption language is during the next three weeks at the committee level.

The following three members of the House Agriculture Committee can be contacted to voice your opposition to the pre-emption language. They will be most receptive to their own constituents and to representatives of agriculture, the food industry and business:

• Dennis A. Cardoza, CA (18th District - Stockton, Merced, Modesto)
• Joe Baca, CA (43rd District - Ontario, Rialto, Fontana)
• Jim Costa, CA (20th District – San Joaquin Valley)