2017 -- S 0746

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LC002488

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2017

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO FOOD AND DRUGS - LABELING OF GENETICALLY ENGINEERED

RAW AND PACKAGED FOOD PRODUCTS

     

     Introduced By: Senators Nesselbush, Lombardi, Quezada, Crowley, and Pearson

     Date Introduced: April 12, 2017

     Referred To: Senate Health & Human Services

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Title 21 of the General Laws entitled "FOOD AND DRUGS" is hereby

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amended by adding thereto the following chapter:

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CHAPTER 38

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LABELING OF FOOD PRODUCTS CONTAINING GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOOD

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PRODUCTS

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     21-38-1. Definitions.

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     As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the following meanings unless the

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context clearly specifies otherwise:

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     (1) "Director" means the director of the state department of health;

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     (2) "Food" means and includes food only for human consumption and not any food for

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consumption by animals;

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     (3) "Genetically engineered" means produced from an organism or organisms in which

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the genetic material has been changed through the application of:

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     (i) In vitro nucleic acid techniques, including recombinant deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)

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and direct injection of nucleic acid into cells or organelles; or

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     (ii) Fusion of cells beyond the taxonomic family, that overcome natural physiological

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reproductive or recombinant barriers and that are not techniques used in traditional breeding and

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selection.

 

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     21-38-2. Disclosure requirements for genetically engineered products.

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     (a) Any food offered for retail sale in Rhode Island that is genetically engineered must be

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accompanied by a conspicuous disclosure that states "Produced with Genetic Engineering." The

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statement must be located on the package for all packaged food or, in the case of unpackaged

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food, on a card or label on the store shelf or bin in which the food is displayed.

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     (b) Any food that is genetically engineered that does not display the disclosure required

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under §21-38-2(a) is considered mislabeled for the purposes of this chapter except that:

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     (1) Any food is not considered mislabelled if the food is produced by a person or business

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who:

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     (i) Grows, raises or otherwise produces that food without knowledge that the food was

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created from other food that was genetically engineered; and

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     (ii) Obtains a sworn statement from the person or business from whom the food was

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obtained that the food was not knowingly genetically engineered and was segregated from and

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not knowingly commingled with a food component that may have been genetically engineered;

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     (2) A food product derived from an animal is not considered mislabelled if the animal

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was not genetically engineered but was fed genetically engineered feed; and

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     (3) A packaged processed food is not considered mislabelled if the total weight of the

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processed food that was genetically engineered is less than nine-tenths of one percent (0.9%) of

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total weight of the processed food.

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     (c) Any person selling, offering for sale or distributing in this state any food, required to

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contain a label with a disclosure, as provided in this section, shall be responsible for ensuring that

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such food is so labeled.

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     21-38-3. Use of term "natural".

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     A food that is subject to disclosure under this chapter may not be described on the label

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or by similar identification as "natural."

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     21-38-4. Exceptions.

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     The provisions of §21-38-2 shall not apply to any of the following:

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     (1) Alcoholic beverages;

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     (2) Food intended for human consumption that is not packaged for retail sale and that

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either:

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     (i) Is a processed food prepared and intended for immediate consumption; or

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     (ii) Is served, sold or otherwise provided in any restaurant or other food facility that is

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primarily engaged in the sale of food prepared and intended for immediate consumption;

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     (3) Farm products that are sold by a farmer or the farmer's agent to a consumer at a pick-

 

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your-own farm, roadside stand, on-farm market or farmers' market; and

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     (4) Food consisting entirely of, or derived entirely from, an animal that was not

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genetically engineered, regardless of whether such animal was fed or injected with any

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genetically engineered food or any drug that was produced through means of genetic engineering.

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     21-38-5. Third-party protection.

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     A distributor or retailer that sells or advertises food that is genetically engineered that

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fails to make the disclosure required under §21-38-2 is not subject to liability in any civil action

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to enforce this chapter if the distributor or retailer relied upon the sworn statement pursuant to

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§21-38-2(b)(1)(ii), provided by the producer or grower stating that the food is not subject to the

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disclosure requirements of this chapter.

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     21-38-6. Rules and Regulations.

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     The director of the department of health shall promulgate rules and regulations which aid

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in the administration and enforcement of this chapter.

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     21-38-7. Contingent effective date.

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     (a) On October 1, following the date the director recognizes the occurrence of both of the

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following:

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     (1) Four (4) states, not including this state, enact a mandatory labeling law for genetically

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engineered foods that is consistent with the provisions of this chapter, provided one such state

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borders Rhode Island; and

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     (2) The aggregate population of such states located in the northeast region of the United

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States that have enacted a mandatory labeling law for genetically engineered foods that is

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consistent with this chapter exceed twenty million (20,000,000) people, based on 2010 census

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figures.

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     (b) Not later than thirty (30) days after the director recognizes the occurrence of the

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events described in subsections (a)(1) and (a)(2) of this section, the director shall cause to be

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published in the newspaper in the state having the largest circulation, notice of the date the

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requirements of this section become effective. For purposes of this section, "states located in the

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northeast region of the United States" means Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts,

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Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

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     21-38-8. Severability.

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     If any provision of this chapter or the application thereof to any person or circumstances

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is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of the chapter,

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which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the

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provisions of this chapter are declared to be severable.

 

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     SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO FOOD AND DRUGS - LABELING OF GENETICALLY ENGINEERED

RAW AND PACKAGED FOOD PRODUCTS

***

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     This act would require that all genetically engineered food offered for retail sale in this

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state contain a label with the disclosure that the food is genetically engineered food, upon the

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occurrence of four (4) other states adopting similar mandatory labelling laws, as specified in this

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act.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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