By Ms. Story of Amherst, petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 875) of Ellen Story and others for legislation to establish a moratorium on genetically engineered food products.  Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PETITION OF:

Ellen Story

Barbara A. L'Italien

John W. Scibak

Denise Provost

Steven J. D'Amico

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In the Year Two Thousand and Seven.

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An Act to establish a moratorium on genetically engineered food products.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

SECTION 1. For the purposes of this act, the words “genetically engineered” shall refer to any seed, plant part or agricultural crop produced, in whole or in part, using a variety of methods, as identified by the national organic program of the U.S. department of agriculture, used to modify genetically organisms or influence their growth and development by means that are not possible under natural conditions or processes.  Such methods include cell fusion, microencapsulation and macroencapsulation, and recombinant DNA technology (including gene deletion, gene doubling, introducing a foreign gene, and changing the positions of genes when achieved by recombinant DNA technology).  Such methods do not include the use of traditional breeding, conjugation, fermentation, hybridization, in vitro fertilization, or tissue culture.

SECTION 2.  Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, there shall be a moratorium on the further cultivation of genetically engineered crops, or the production of genetically engineered seed, until there is credible and independent scientific evidence that these products are not harmful to the environment of the commonwealth and the health of its citizens, as determined by the commissioner of agriculture.

SECTION 3.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2009