Bill Text: NY A02166 | 2009-2010 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: An act to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to genetically modified crops
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 12-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-01-06 - referred to agriculture [A02166 Detail]
Download: New_York-2009-A02166-Introduced.html
S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K ________________________________________________________________________ 2166 2009-2010 Regular Sessions I N A S S E M B L Y January 15, 2009 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. McENENY, BRODSKY, COOK, ENGLEBRIGHT, ORTIZ -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. BRENNAN, COLTON, DINOWITZ, EDDINGTON, GLICK, HOYT, MARKEY -- read once and referred to the Committee on Agriculture AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to genet- ically modified crops THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM- BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: 1 Section 1. Article 27 and sections 450, 451, 452, 453, 454 and 455 of 2 the agriculture and markets law, as renumbered by chapter 1047 of the 3 laws of 1965, are renumbered article 29 and sections 600, 601, 602, 603, 4 604 and 605 and a new article 27 is added to read as follows: 5 ARTICLE 27 6 GENETICALLY MODIFIED CROPS 7 SECTION 450. LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS. 8 451. DEFINITIONS. 9 452. PLANTING OF CROPS. 10 453. MARKETING PLAN. 11 S 450. LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS. THE LEGISLATURE FINDS THAT GENETICALLY 12 MODIFIED CROPS POSE RISKS OF UNKNOWN DIMENSION TO HUMAN HEALTH AND THE 13 ENVIRONMENT, AND THAT DRAMATIC INCREASES IN THE PLANTING AND CONSUMPTION 14 OF SUCH CROPS OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS HAVE FAR OUTPACED OUR UNDER- 15 STANDING OF THEIR IMMEDIATE AND LONG-TERM EFFECTS. FURTHERMORE, BECAUSE 16 THE EXCHANGE OF GENETIC MATERIAL BETWEEN GENETICALLY MODIFIED CROPS AND 17 CONVENTIONAL CROPS, WILD PLANTS, AND ORGANISMS IS KNOWN TO OCCUR, GENET- 18 ICALLY MODIFIED MATERIAL AND ANY ADVERSE CHARACTERISTICS IT CONFERS OR 19 PROMOTES CAN BE IRREVOCABLY DISPERSED INTO THE WIDER ENVIRONMENT. THE 20 LIST OF POTENTIAL HAZARDS OF CONCERN INCLUDES BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO: THE 21 DEVELOPMENT OF INSECT AND WEED RESISTANCE TO PESTICIDES; INJURY OR DEATH 22 OF NON-TARGET SPECIES; CROP LOSS FROM SEEDS THAT DO NOT YIELD AS EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD05606-01-9 A. 2166 2 1 EXPECTED OR THAT PRODUCE CROPS WITH UNEXPECTED CHARACTERISTICS; AND 2 ALLERGENICITY, TOXICITY, OR DECREASED NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF GENETICALLY 3 MODIFIED CROPS. THE LEGISLATURE FURTHER FINDS THAT FOODS PRODUCED FROM 4 GENETICALLY MODIFIED CROPS ARE INCREASINGLY BEING REJECTED BY DISTRIBU- 5 TORS, PROCESSORS, RETAILERS AND CONSUMERS ALIKE IN BOTH DOMESTIC AND 6 INTERNATIONAL MARKETS. THE GROWTH OF GENETICALLY MODIFIED CROPS IN NEW 7 YORK STATE THUS PLACES ALL STATE FARMERS AT RISK IN THE MARKETPLACE. 8 THOSE WHO INTENTIONALLY PLANT GENETICALLY MODIFIED CROPS AND KNOWINGLY 9 ACCEPT THE MARKETPLACE RISK ALSO PLACE AT RISK THOSE WHO PLANT CONVEN- 10 TIONAL CROPS, WHICH CAN BE UNINTENTIONALLY CONTAMINATED BY GENETICALLY 11 MODIFIED CROPS. A MORATORIUM ON THE PLANTING AND GROWING OF GENETICALLY 12 MODIFIED CROPS IN NEW YORK STATE WILL ENHANCE THE VALUE AND PROTECT THE 13 REPUTATION OF NEW YORK STATE'S AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS, CONFERRING A 14 SIGNIFICANT MARKETING ADVANTAGE WHILE PRESERVING THE STATE'S ECOLOGICAL 15 HEALTH. FOR THESE REASONS, THE LEGISLATURE ESTABLISHES A MORATORIUM ON 16 THE PLANTING AND GROWING OF GENETICALLY MODIFIED CROPS IN NEW YORK 17 STATE. 18 S 451. DEFINITIONS. AS USED IN THIS ARTICLE "GENETICALLY MODIFIED 19 CROPS" SHALL MEAN CROPS PRODUCED FROM PLANT VARIETIES CREATED USING 20 TECHNIQUES THAT ALTER THE MOLECULAR OR CELL BIOLOGY OF AN ORGANISM BY 21 MEANS THAT ARE NOT POSSIBLE UNDER NATURAL CONDITIONS OR PROCESSES. 22 GENETIC MODIFICATION SHALL INCLUDE RECOMBINANT DNA, CELL FUSION, MICRO- 23 AND MACRO-ENCAPSULATION, GENE DELETION AND DOUBLING, INTRODUCTION OF A 24 FOREIGN GENE, AND GENE REPOSITIONING. IT SHALL NOT INCLUDE CROP BREED- 25 ING, CONJUGATION, FERMENTATION, HYBRIDIZATION, AND TISSUE CULTURE. 26 S 452. PLANTING OF CROPS. NO GENETICALLY MODIFIED CROPS MAY BE PLANTED 27 OR GROWN IN THE STATE FOR A PERIOD OF FIVE YEARS AFTER THE EFFECTIVE 28 DATE OF THIS ARTICLE. THIS SECTION SHALL NOT APPLY TO PLANTING AND GROW- 29 ING GENETICALLY MODIFIED CROPS SOLELY FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONDUCTING 30 RESEARCH AND NOT FOR SALE, USE OR CONSUMPTION BY THE PUBLIC. GROWING AND 31 PLANTING OF GENETICALLY MODIFIED CROPS FOR RESEARCH PURPOSES SHALL BE IN 32 AN ENCLOSED FACILITY OR ON AN OUTDOOR PLOT OF LAND NOT MORE THAN FIVE 33 ACRES AT LEAST SIX HUNDRED SIXTY FEET FROM ANY OTHER PLOT USED FOR THE 34 PLANTING AND GROWING OF CROPS. NO ONE LOCATION SHALL EXCEED A COMBINED 35 TOTAL OF TEN ACRES OF LAND FOR PLANTING AND GROWING OF GENETICALLY MODI- 36 FIED CROPS. 37 S 453. MARKETING PLAN. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL PREPARE A MARKETING PLAN 38 THAT USES THE MORATORIUM AS A PROMOTIONAL TOOL FOR NEW YORK STATE AGRI- 39 CULTURAL PRODUCTS. 40 S 2. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed- 41 ing the date on which it shall have become a law.