After months of negotiations, Senate leaders finally reached a historic deal in late June to set national labeling standards for foods that contain genetically engineered ingredients.

The agreement between Senate Agriculture Chairman Pat Roberts and ranking Democrat Debbie Stabenow caps off a long and winding path of negotiations that included a series of starts and stops.  Farm Bureau is supporting the Roberts-Stabenow GMO food labeling compromise and is currently asking members to contact Congress to urge for the bill’s passage.

Below is a rundown of what the legislation would actually do:

• The legislation would block Vermont’s GMO labeling law that took effect July 1, protecting interstate commerce. States would not be allowed to have labeling laws that differ from the federal standard.
• It would require food companies to disclose biotech ingredients but provides one of three options for doing so: 1) a scannable code, such as the QR codes on labels that can be read by smartphones, 2) on-package symbol or 3) text on the package indicating the presence of biotechnology.
• Small companies would be exempt from the labeling requirements.
• Meat and dairy products also would be exempt from the disclosure standards. Eating biotech feed wouldn’t be enough to qualify as a biotech product.
• Provides USDA the authority to determine what on-package disclosure will look like.
• Includes a narrow and strong definition of biotechnology that protects future breeding technologies from being stigmatized as being GMO.
• Establishes that a manufacturer cannot label a product as non-GMO simply because it is not subject to the bill’s labeling requirements.
• Also establishes that products already qualified as certified organic will be able to market as non-GMO.
• Saves the average consumer hundreds of dollars each year.

Time is limited for Congress to take action on the legislation prior to July 15, when both chambers are scheduled for an extended break due to party conventions and August Recess. However, the process for approval is already underway.  Last week, the Senate voted 68-29 on a procedural motion that initiates the process for floor action.  There will be one more procedural vote to “invoke cloture”  followed by final consideration and a vote on the bill, which may take place next Friday, July 8 according to sources.  Assuming everything goes as anticipated, the House is expected to take action on the legislation during the week of July 11.