What's happening
This bill requires New York to create and maintain a public registry tracking the use and location of genetically modified organisms in seeds and higher education research.
Why it matters
Increases transparency and public awareness. By requiring the registry and public reporting, the bill gives New Yorkers detailed access to where and how genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are being used in agriculture and research, which can inform consumer choices and public debate.
Enables local and state monitoring of GMOs. The mandate for county-level maps showing exact GMO locations and usage provides policymakers, researchers, and the public with granular data that could be used to assess potential environmental, health, or economic impacts.
Imposes new compliance requirements on seed sellers and research institutions. Entities dealing with GMOs must now regularly register and disclose information about their GMO use, potentially increasing administrative work and oversight in higher education and agribusiness sectors.
Lays groundwork for future regulation or policy. The annual reports on GMO locations, uses, and impacts can influence future legislation, regulatory decisions, or public funding related to biotechnology, food labeling, and agricultural practices in New York.
Albany, before your first meeting.
Every bill that moved yesterday, summarized in a sentence and ranked by impact. The Albany Scorecard follows on Sundays.
Free. Unsubscribe in one click. Want alerts on specific bills? Create an account.
Who cares
Headline styles
Create GMO Tracking Registry
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to agriculture
- Referred to agriculture
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
3593
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 27, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. ROSENTHAL -- read once and referred to the Committee on Agriculture
AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to establishing a genetically modified organism registry
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The agriculture and markets law is amended by adding a new section 16-b to read as follows:
§ 16-b. Genetically modified organism registry. 1. As used in this section, the following terms shall mean:
a. "Genetically modified organism" shall mean:
(i) an organism that has been altered at the molecular or cellular level by means that are not possible under natural conditions or processes, including recombinant DNA and RNA techniques, cell fusion, microencapsulation, macroencapsulation, gene deletion and doubling, introduction of a foreign gene, and a process that changes the positions of genes, other than a means consisting exclusively of breeding, conjugation, fermentation, hybridization, in vitro fertilization, or tissue culture; and
(ii) an organism made through sexual or asexual reproduction, or both, involving an organism described in subparagraph (i) of this paragraph, if possessing any of the altered molecular or cellular characteristics of the organism so described.
b. "Higher education" shall have the same meaning as is ascribed to such term by subdivision eight of section two of the education law.
2. The department shall establish and maintain a registry of genetically modified organisms used in the production of seeds, and by institutions of higher education for the purposes of research and in any of their agriculture related programs. The information included in such registry shall be made available to the public, upon request, in written form and in electronic form on the department's internet website. All
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05488-01-7
A. 3593 2
information in the genetically modified organism registry available to the public shall be updated by the department not less frequently than once every six months.
3. The department, as part of maintaining the registry required by this section, shall establish maps of each county in which registered genetically modified organisms are used, stating the exact location within the county of each such organism, the type of such organism at each location and the use of such organism at each location.
4. Subject to the rules and regulations of the department, each seller, distributor or provider of seeds which uses or possesses genetically modified organisms, and each institution of higher education which uses or possesses genetically modified organisms for the purpose of research or in any of its agriculture related programs, shall register all such organisms with the department in a timely manner. Each person or entity required to register its genetically modified organisms pursuant to this subdivision shall include information on how it uses such organisms, including but not limited to the exact agricultural product or crop upon which a genetically modified organism has an effect.
5. The department shall annually issue a report on the information compiled in the genetically modified organism registry, which shall be made available to the public, and submitted to the governor and the legislature on or before March first. Such report shall include information on the uses and locations of genetically modified organisms in this state, and the effects such uses are having upon the state and its residents.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law, provided that the department of agriculture and markets is authorized and directed to take all actions necessary to implement the provisions of this act on its effective date on or before such date.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.