Source: https://nyassembly.gov/leg/?default_fld=&bn=A03525&term=2013&Summary=Y&Actions=Y&Votes=Y&Memo=Y&Text=Y
Timestamp: 2019-01-21 14:43:32
Document Index: 708574173

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 2', '§  391', '§  3', '§  4', '§ 5', '§ 6', 'art-\n23']

A03525 Actions:
01/28/2013 referred to consumer affairs and protection
05/09/2013 amend and recommit to consumer affairs and protection
05/09/2013 print number 3525a
06/03/2013 defeated in consumer affairs and protection
01/08/2014 referred to consumer affairs and protection
03/05/2014 amend (t) and recommit to consumer affairs and protection
03/05/2014 print number 3525b
04/23/2014 amend and recommit to consumer affairs and protection
04/23/2014 print number 3525c
05/02/2014 amend and recommit to consumer affairs and protection
05/02/2014 print number 3525d
05/06/2014 reported referred to codes
05/22/2014 amend and recommit to codes
05/22/2014 print number 3525e
06/03/2014 reported referred to ways and means
A03525 Memo:
BILL NUMBER: A3525E
To require the labeling of genetically engineered foods and other
consumable products made from genetically engineered materials.
Section 1: Sets forth the legislative intent.
Section 2: Defines genetically engineered foods and provides for
exemptions from labeling under certain circumstances.
Sections 3 and 4: Makes conforming changes to the Agriculture and
Section 5: Provides the Severability clause Section 6: Sets forth the
In the past decade, genetic engineering has enabled the development of
new foods and crops. Genetic engineering is a process which allows for
the altering of the genetic material contained in an organism to change
the characteristics the organism will display as it develops.  The
introduction of these new genes is no longer limited to genes from simi-
lar species, as the genes from animals or other plant species can be
added to create new character traits within a particular organism. The
genes are generally introduced into the cells of the organism with the
use of viruses; antibiotic-resistant genes, and bacteria. The emergence
of these new crops has initiated debate among countries, scientists.,
farmers, and environmentalists.
A variety of plants are being grown that, contain genetically modified
organisms, including corn, canola, cotton, wheat, apples and strawber-
ries. It has been estimated that 60-70% of packaged grocery products
contain some genetically modified organism ingredients.  Consumers
should be provided the information necessary to make informed decisions
when choosing food products for their families.  This legislation
requires that the information be provided through product labeling.
2012: A1367
2010: ASOO
a law; provided, however, that effective immediately, the department of
agriculture and markets shall adopt any rules and regulations necessary
to implement this act, including, but not limited to, creating and main-
taining a list, which shall be made available to the public at no cost,
of raw agricultural commodities that are produced with genetic engineer-
ing; provided, further, that the department of agriculture and markets
is not authorized to create any exemptions beyond those provided for in
paragraph (d) of subdivision two of section 391-t of the general busi-
ness law as added by section two of this act and paragraph (d) of subdi-
vision fifteen of section 201 of the agriculture and markets law as
added by section four of this act; provided further, this act shall
remain in effect until such time as a comprehensive federal system
requiring mandatory labeling of foods and food products manufactured or
produced using genetic engineering is implemented, provided however that
nothing contained herein shall prevent the State from exercising any
concurrent authority authorized by federal law.
A03525 Text:
3525--E
Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  ROSENTHAL, PEOPLES-STOKES, JAFFEE, DINOWITZ,
THIELE, KEARNS, SEPULVEDA, ROBERTS, MOYA, LAVINE, COLTON, COOK,  MILL-
MAN, GALEF, KELLNER, ENGLEBRIGHT, MAGNARELLI, SIMOTAS, SCHIMEL, STECK,
BENEDETTO,  PERRY,  QUART, CLARK, CAMARA, MILLER, P. LOPEZ, SKARTADOS,
ABINANTI, WEPRIN, OTIS, GOLDFEDER, MOSLEY, ORTIZ, ROZIC,  BROOK-KRASNY
--  Multi-Sponsored  by  --  M.  of  A. BRAUNSTEIN, BRENNAN, BRINDISI,
CERETTO, CURRAN, CYMBROWITZ, FAHY, FARRELL,  GLICK,  HEASTIE,  HEVESI,
JACOBS,  JOHNS, LENTOL, LIFTON, MARKEY, MONTESANO, PAULIN, RA, RIVERA,
RODRIGUEZ, SWEENEY, WEISENBERG  --  read  once  and  referred  to  the
Committee  on Consumer Affairs and Protection -- committee discharged,
committee  --  recommitted  to  the  Committee on Consumer Affairs and
Protection in accordance with Assembly Rule 3,  sec.  2  --  committee
law, in relation to the labeling of genetically engineered foods
2  New  York  state consumers have the right to know whether the foods they
3  purchase have been produced with genetic engineering so  they  can  make
LBD02306-25-4
A. 3525--E                          2
1    (a) Currently, there is no federal law that requires food producers to
2  identify  whether  foods  were produced with genetic engineering. At the
3  same time, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not
4  require safety studies of such foods;
5    (b)  Identification  of  foods  produced  with genetic engineering can
6  provide a critical  method  for  tracking  effects  of  consuming  foods
7  produced with genetic engineering;
8    (c)  More  than  sixty  countries, including key United States trading
9  partners, have  laws  mandating  disclosure  of  genetically  engineered
10  foods.  Identifying  foods  produced  with genetic engineering will help
11  protect our state's export market;
12    (d) A variety of genetically engineered crops are commercially  culti-
13  vated  and  sold  in  the  United  States, including corn, canola, sugar
14  beets, soybean, cotton, alfalfa, and papaya. It has been estimated  that
15  70-80%  of packaged grocery products contain some materials derived from
16  these genetically engineered crops;
17    (e) Without disclosure, consumers with  certain  dietary  restrictions
18  may   unknowingly  consume  such  food  in  violation  of  such  dietary
19  restrictions;
20    (f) Preserving the identity, quality, and reliability of  agricultural
21  products is of prime importance to our state's fiscal health;
22    (g)  The cultivation of genetically engineered crops can cause serious
23  environmental impacts;
24    (h) It is the intent of this act to ensure that New York consumers and
25  farmers are fully and reliably informed about whether the food and  seed
26  they purchase and eat were produced with genetic engineering so they may
27  choose  for  themselves whether to purchase and eat or use such food and
28  seed;
29    (i) It is the intent of this act only  to  regulate  the  labeling  of
30  seed, seed stock, and food for human consumption offered for retail sale
31  within New York State.
32    § 2. The general business law is amended by adding a new section 391-t
33  to read as follows:
34    §  391-t.  Genetically  engineered foods; required labeling. 1.  Defi-
35  nitions. As used in this section, the term:
36    (a)  "Department"  means  the  state  department  of  agriculture  and
37  markets.
38    (b)  "Distributor" means a person or business engaged in any method of
39  distributing or transporting a food or food product from  one  place  to
40  another.
41    (c)  "Enzyme"  means  a  protein  that catalyzes chemical reactions of
42  other  substances  without  itself  being  destroyed  or  altered   upon
43  completion of the reactions.
44    (d) "Genetically engineered," or "genetically modified," or any deriv-
45  ative  of  those  words, as applied to any food for human consumption or
46  seed means produced from or with an organism or organisms with  genetics
47  altered materially through the application of:
48    (i)  in  vitro  nucleic  acid techniques, including but not limited to
49  recombinant  deoxyribonucleic  acid  (DNA)  techniques  and  the  direct
50  injection of nucleic acid into cells or organelles; or
51    (ii)  the  fusion  of cells beyond the taxonomic family that overcomes
52  natural physiological, reproductive, or recombinant  barriers  and  that
53  are not techniques used in traditional breeding and selection.
54    For  purposes of subparagraph (i) of this paragraph, "in vitro nucleic
55  acid techniques" include, but are not limited to, recombinant DNA or RNA
56  techniques that use vector systems, and techniques involving the  direct
A. 3525--E                          3
1  introduction into the organisms of hereditary materials prepared outside
2  the  organisms  such  as  biolistics,  microinjection,  macro-injection,
3  chemoporation, electroporation, microencapsulation, and liposome fusion.
4    (e)   "Manufacturer"  means  a  person  or  business  engaged  in  the
5  production or processing of seed, seed stock, or any food product.
6    (f) "Medical food" means a food that is formulated to be  consumed  or
7  administered  enterally under the supervision of a physician and that is
8  intended for the specific dietary management of a disease  or  condition
9  for  which  distinctive  nutritional  requirements,  based on recognized
10  scientific principles, are established by medical evaluation.
11    (g) "Processed food" means any food  other  than  a  raw  agricultural
12  commodity, including any food produced from a raw agricultural commodity
13  that  has been subject to processing such as canning, smoking, pressing,
14  cooking, freezing, dehydration, fermentation, or milling.
15    (h) "Processing aid" means:
16    (i) a substance that is added to a food during the processing  of  the
17  food  but  is removed in some manner from the food before it is packaged
18  in its finished form;
19    (ii) a substance that  is  added  to  a  food  during  processing,  is
20  converted  into  constituents normally present in the food, and does not
21  significantly increase the amount of the constituents naturally found in
22  the food; or
23    (iii) a substance that is added to a food for its technical  or  func-
24  tional  effect  in the processing but is present in the finished food at
25  insignificant levels and does  not  have  any  technical  or  functional
26  effect in that finished food.
27    (i)  "Raw  agricultural  commodity"  means any plant, animal, or fungi
29    (j) "Retailer" means a person or business engaged in selling food from
31    2. Labeling of genetically engineered seed and food. (a) Any food  for
32  human  consumption,  seed,  or seed stock offered for retail sale in New
34  produced with genetic engineering and that  fact  is  not  disclosed  as
37  packaged  or  labeled,  the words "Produced with Genetic Engineering" or
38  any other derivative of those words, the initials "GE", "GM", or  "GMO",
39  or  a derivative of those phrases, shall be placed on the container used
40  for packaging, holding, and/or transport  in  a  clear  and  conspicuous
41  manner  by  the  manufacturer,  and  maintained  by the distributor, and
44    (ii) In the case of a raw agricultural commodity  that  is  separately
46  ing,  the  manufacturer  must label the food, in a clear and conspicuous
48  ic Engineering" or any other derivative of  those  words,  the  initials
51  entity  responsible  for  producing the seed must label the seed or seed
55  those words, the initials "GE", "GM", "GMO", or a  derivative  of  those
A. 3525--E                          4
1    (b)  This section shall not be construed to require either the listing
2  or identification of any ingredients that were  genetically  engineered,
3  nor  that  the  phrase  "Produced with Genetic Engineering" or any other
4  derivative of those words, the initials "GE", "GM", "GMO", or a  deriva-
48    3. Violations. (a) Any person, firm, corporation, or other legal enti-
49  ty  violating  this  section shall be subject to the penalties for false
50  labels and misrepresentations as set  forth  in  section  three  hundred
51  ninety-two-b of this article, provided however that a retailer shall not
52  be  subject to the penalties under section three hundred ninety-two-b of
53  this article unless (i) the retailer is the manufacturer of  the  genet-
54  ically  engineered  raw agricultural commodity, processed food, seed, or
55  seed stock and sells the genetically engineered raw agricultural commod-
A. 3525--E                          5
1  ity, processed food, seed, or seed stock under a brand it owns  or  (ii)
2  the retailer's failure to label was knowing and willful.
3    (b) Any person or entity who violates the requirements of this section
4  shall  be  liable  for  a  civil  penalty  of not more than one thousand
5  dollars per day, per product.
6    4. Notice of violation. In any case  where  there  has  been  a  final
7  determination by the department, of a violation of any of the provisions
8  of  this  section,  the  department  shall make available to the public,
9  without charge, the following information:
10    (a) the name and business address of the violator;
11    (b) the date or dates of inspection of the violator's premises by  the
12  department;
13    (c)  the violation that was determined to have occurred, including the
14  name of the product; and
15    (d) the amount of the penalty that was assessed by the department.
16    5. Third-party protection; reliance on written statement. A  distribu-
17  tor or retailer that sells a raw agricultural commodity, processed food,
18  seed, or seed stock that has been produced with genetic engineering that
19  fails  to  make  the  disclosure required pursuant to subdivision two of
20  this section, is not subject to financial liability in any civil  action
21  to  enforce  this  section  if the distributor or retailer relied on the
22  written  statement  obtained  under  subdivision  two  of  this  section
23  provided  by  the manufacturer stating that the raw agricultural commod-
24  ity, processed food, seed, or seed stock is not subject to  the  disclo-
25  sure requirements under this section.
26    §  3.  Section  198  of  the agriculture and markets law is amended by
27  adding a new subdivision 12 to read as follows:
28    12. The term: (a) "Distributor" means a person or business engaged  in
29  any  method  of distributing or transporting a food or food product from
30  one place to another.
31    (b) "Enzyme" means a protein  that  catalyzes  chemical  reactions  of
32  other   substances  without  itself  being  destroyed  or  altered  upon
33  completion of the reactions.
34    (c) "Genetically engineered," or "genetically modified," or any deriv-
35  ative of those words, as applied to any food for  human  consumption  or
36  seed  means produced from or with an organism or organisms with genetics
37  altered materially through the application of:
38    (i) in vitro nucleic acid techniques, including  but  not  limited  to
39  recombinant  deoxyribonucleic  acid  (DNA)  techniques  and  the  direct
40  injection of nucleic acid into cells or organelles; or
41    (ii) the fusion of cells beyond the taxonomic  family  that  overcomes
42  natural  physiological,  reproductive,  or recombinant barriers and that
43  are not techniques used in traditional breeding and selection.
44    For purposes of subparagraph (i) of this paragraph, "in vitro  nucleic
45  acid techniques" include, but are not limited to, recombinant DNA or RNA
46  techniques  that  use vector systems and techniques involving the direct
47  introduction into the organisms of hereditary materials prepared outside
48  the  organisms  such  as  biolistics,  microinjection,  macro-injection,
49  chemoporation, electroporation, microencapsulation, and liposome fusion.
50    (d)   "Manufacturer"  means  a  person  or  business  engaged  in  the
51  production or processing of seed, seed stock, or any food product.
52    (e) "Medical food" means a food that is formulated to be  consumed  or
53  administered  enterally under the supervision of a physician and that is
54  intended for the specific dietary management of a disease  or  condition
55  for  which  distinctive  nutritional  requirements,  based on recognized
56  scientific principles, are established by medical evaluation.
A. 3525--E                          6
1    (f) "Processed food" means any food  other  than  a  raw  agricultural
2  commodity, including any food produced from a raw agricultural commodity
3  that  has been subject to processing such as canning, smoking, pressing,
4  cooking, freezing, dehydration, fermentation, or milling.
5    (g) "Processing aid" means:
6    (i)  a  substance that is added to a food during the processing of the
7  food but is removed in some manner from the food before it  is  packaged
8  in its finished form;
9    (ii)  a  substance  that  is  added  to  a  food during processing, is
10  converted into constituents normally present in the food, and  does  not
11  significantly increase the amount of the constituents naturally found in
12  the food; or
13    (iii)  a  substance that is added to a food for its technical or func-
14  tional effect in the processing but is present in the finished  food  at
15  insignificant  levels  and  does  not  have  any technical or functional
16  effect in that finished food.
17    (h) "Raw agricultural commodity" means any  plant,  animal,  or  fungi
18  grown or produced for human food-use purposes.
19    (i) "Retailer" means a person or business engaged in selling food from
20  individuals or businesses to the end-user.
21    §  4.  Section  201  of  the agriculture and markets law is amended by
22  adding a new subdivision 15 to read as follows:
23    15. (a) Any food for human consumption, seed, or  seed  stock  offered
24  for  retail sale in New York is misbranded if it is entirely genetically
25  engineered or partially produced with genetic engineering and that  fact
26  is not disclosed as follows:
27    (i) In the case of a raw agricultural commodity that is not separately
28  packaged  or  labeled,  the words "produced with genetic engineering" or
29  any other derivative of those words, the initials "GE", "GM", or  "GMO",
30  or  a derivative of those phrases, shall be placed on the container used
31  for packaging, holding, and/or transport  in  a  clear  and  conspicuous
32  manner  by  the  manufacturer,  and  maintained  by the distributor, and
33  displayed in a clear and conspicuous manner on the retail shelf  or  bin
34  in which such commodity is offered for sale by the retailer.
35    (ii)  In  the  case of a raw agricultural commodity that is separately
36  packaged or processed food containing some products of genetic engineer-
37  ing, the manufacturer must label the food, in a  clear  and  conspicuous
38  manner on the package of such food, with the words "Produced with Genet-
39  ic  Engineering"  or  any  other derivative of those words, the initials
40  "GE", "GM", "GMO", or a derivative of those phrases.
41    (iii) In the case of any seed or seed stock, the manufacturer or other
42  entity responsible for producing the seed must label the  seed  or  seed
43  stock container, the sales receipt, and any other reference to identifi-
44  cation, ownership, or possession, in a clear and conspicuous manner with
45  the words "Produced with Genetic Engineering" or any other derivative of
46  those  words,  the initials "GE,", "GM", "GMO", or a derivative of those
47  phrases.
48    (b) This subdivision shall not be  construed  to  require  either  the
49  listing or identification of any ingredients that were genetically engi-
50  neered,  nor  that the phrase "Produced with Genetic Engineering" or any
51  other derivative of those words, the initials "GE," "GM",  "GMO",  or  a
52  derivative  of  those phrases be placed immediately preceding any common
53  name or primary product descriptor of a food.
54    (c) Any processed food that would be subject to  this  section  solely
55  because  it  includes  one or more materials produced with genetic engi-
56  neering is not misbranded provided that the genetically engineered mate-
A. 3525--E                          7
1  rials in the aggregate do not account for more than nine-tenths  of  one
2  percent of the total weight of the processed food.
3    (d) This subdivision does not apply to any of the following:
4    (i)  Food  consisting entirely of, or derived entirely from, an animal
5  that has not itself been produced with genetic  engineering,  regardless
6  of  whether  the animal has been fed with any food produced with genetic
7  engineering or treated with any drug or vaccine that has  been  produced
8  with genetic engineering;
9    (ii)  A  raw  agricultural commodity, processed food, or seed that has
10  been grown, raised, produced, or derived without the knowing and  inten-
11  tional use of genetically engineered seed or food. To be included within
12  the exclusion under this paragraph, the person or entity responsible for
13  complying  with  paragraph (a) of this subdivision with respect to a raw
14  agricultural commodity, processed food, seed, or seed stock must obtain,
15  from whomever sold the raw agricultural commodity, processed food, seed,
16  or seed stock must obtain,  from  whomever  sold  the  raw  agricultural
17  commodity, processed food, seed, or seed stock to that person, a written
18  statement,  which  may be included on an invoice that may be in an elec-
19  tronic form, that the raw agricultural commodity, processed food,  seed,
20  or seed stock: (1) has not been knowingly or intentionally produced with
21  genetic  engineering; and (2) has been segregated from, and has not been
22  knowingly or intentionally commingled with foods or seeds that may  have
23  been produced with genetic engineering;
24    (iii)  Any  processed  food  that would be subject to this subdivision
25  solely because one or more of the processing aids or enzymes used in its
26  production were produced with or derived from genetic engineering;
27    (iv) Any alcoholic beverage that is subject to regulation by the alco-
28  holic beverage control law;
29    (v) Food that has been lawfully certified to be labeled, marketed, and
30  offered for sale as "organic" pursuant  to  the  federal  Organic  Foods
31  Production  Act  of 1990, 7 U.S.C. 6501, et seq. as amended from time to
32  time, and the National Organic Program regulations promulgated  pursuant
33  thereto by the United States Department of Agriculture;
34    (vi)  Food  that  is  not  packaged for sale and that either: (i) is a
35  processed food prepared and intended for immediate human consumption  or
36  (ii)  is  served,  sold,  or  otherwise provided in any restaurant, food
37  facility, or food retailer that is engaged in the sale of food  prepared
38  and intended for immediate human consumption; or
39    (vii) Medical food.
40    (e)(i)  Any person, firm, corporation, or other legal entity violating
41  this section shall be subject to the  penalties  for  false  labels  and
42  misrepresentations as set forth in section three hundred ninety-two-b of
43  the  general business law, provided however that a retailer shall not be
44  subject to the penalties under section three hundred ninety-two-b of the
45  general business law unless (1) the retailer is the manufacturer of  the
46  genetically engineered raw agricultural commodity, processed food, seed,
47  or  seed  stock  and  sells  the genetically engineered raw agricultural
48  commodity, processed food, seed, or seed stock under a brand it owns  or
49  (2) the retailer's failure to label was knowing and willful.
50    (ii)  Any  person  or  entity  who  violates  the requirements of this
51  section shall be liable for a civil penalty of not more than  one  thou-
52  sand dollars per day, per product.
53    (f)  In  any  case  where  there has been a final determination by the
54  department, of a violation of any of the provisions of this subdivision,
55  the department shall make available to the public, without  charge,  the
56  following information:
A. 3525--E                          8
1    (i) the name and business address of the violator;
2    (ii) the date or dates of inspection of the violator's premises by the
4    (iii)  the  violation  that was determined to have occurred, including
5  the name of the product; and
6    (iv) the amount of the penalty that was assessed by the department.
7    (g) A distributor or retailer that sells a raw agricultural commodity,
8  processed food, seed, or seed stock that has been produced with  genetic
9  engineering  that  fails  to  make  the  disclosure required pursuant to
10  section three hundred ninety-one-t of the general business law,  is  not
11  subject  to  financial  liability  in  any  civil action to enforce this
12  section if the distributor or retailer relied on the  written  statement
13  obtained  under subdivision two of section three hundred ninety-one-t of
14  the general business law provided by the manufacturer stating  that  the
15  raw  agricultural  commodity, processed food, seed, or seed stock is not
16  subject to the disclosure requirements under such section.
17    § 5. Severability clause. If any provision of this act or its applica-
18  tion to any person, legal entity, or circumstance is held  invalid,  the
19  remainder  of  the  act  or  the  application  of the provision to other
20  persons, legal entity or circumstances shall not be affected.
21    § 6. This act shall take effect twenty-four months after it shall have
22  become a law; provided, however, that effective immediately, the depart-
23  ment of agriculture and markets shall adopt any  rules  and  regulations
24  necessary to implement this act, including, but not limited to, creating
25  and  maintaining  a list, which shall be made available to the public at
26  no cost, of raw agricultural commodities that are produced with  genetic
27  engineering;  provided,  further, that the department of agriculture and
28  markets is not authorized to create any exemptions beyond those provided
29  for in paragraph (d) of subdivision 2 of section 391-t  of  the  general
30  business  law  as  added by section two of this act and paragraph (d) of
31  subdivision 15 of section 201 of the  agriculture  and  markets  law  as
32  added by section four of this act; this act shall remain in effect until
33  such time as a comprehensive federal system requiring mandatory labeling
34  of  raw  agricultural commodities, processed foods, seed, and seed stock
35  produced with genetic engineering is implemented, provided however  that
36  nothing  contained  herein  shall  prevent the state from exercising any
37  concurrent authority  authorized  by  federal  law;  provided  that  the
38  commissioner  of  agriculture  and  markets shall notify the legislative
39  bill drafting commission upon the  occurrence  of  the  enactment  of  a
40  comprehensive  federal  system requiring mandatory labeling of raw agri-
41  cultural commodities, processed foods, seed,  and  seed  stock  produced
42  with  genetic  engineering  in order that the commission may maintain an
43  accurate and timely effective data base of the official text of the laws
44  of the state of New York in furtherance of effectuating  the  provisions
45  of  section  44  of  the  legislative law and section 70-b of the public
46  officers law.