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South Carolina Bill Would Impose Labeling Restrictions on Cultivated Meat Products

South Carolina bill S. 1150 would prohibit cultivated meat products from being labeled as “beef, poultry, fish, or any other meat that the cultivated food product may resemble for the purposes of manufacturing, selling, or holding or offering for sale.” The bill also would require manufacturers and sellers of cultivated meat products to “indicate that the cultivated food product is not beef, poultry, fish, or any other meat that the cultivated food product may resemble.” The bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Florida Bills Would Prohibit Sale of Cultivated Meat and Criminalize Trespass on Commercial Agricultural Property

Florida Senate Bill 1084 and House Bill 1071 would amend laws relating to a broad range of industries and activities regulated by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The bills include a prohibition on the sale and distribution of cultivated meat and criminal penalties for “trespass[] with the intent to commit a crime on [posted] commercial agricultural property.” SB 1084 passed the Senate on February 29, 2024, and, as of writing, is under consideration on the House Floor, where amendments to change the cultivated meat prohibition to a labeling mandate failed. HB 1071 was reported favorably out of the Regulatory Reform & Economic Development Subcommittee, Agriculture & Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee, and Infrastructure Strategies Committee. The bills incorporate the substance of the cultivated meat ban bills Senate Bill 586 and House Bill 435, reported on last November.

FAIR Labels Act Would Impose Labeling Requirements on Plant-Based and Cultivated Meat Products

S. 3693 and H.R. 71370, the “Fair and Accurate Ingredient Representation on Labels Act of 2024” or “FAIR Labels Act of 2024,” would amend the Federal Meat Inspection Act and the Poultry Products Inspection Act to require the use of the word “imitation” on labels for plant-based and other meat alternatives that do not contain animal meat products. The bills also would require use of the words “cell-cultured” or “lab-grown” on labels for cultivated meat and poultry products. They were introduced by Senator Roger Marshall and Representatives Mark Alford, Roger Williams, Donald Davis, and Jonathan Jackson. The bills were referred respectively to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry and House Committee on Agriculture.

West Virginia Bill Would Ban Sale and Production of Cultivated Meat

West Virginia Senate Bill 582 would provide that “a person may not offer to sell, sell or produce a cell-cultured animal product for human or animal consumption.” Under the bill, a violator could be subject to a civil penalty of up to $25,000. The bill also would create a private right of action for those “adversely affected” by the sales of cultivated meat and allow awards of damages of up to $100,000. The bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources and the Committee on the Judiciary.

Bill Would Prohibit Use of Cultivated Meat in National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program

S. 3674 would prohibit the use of cultivated meat in lunches and breakfasts served through the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program. The bill was introduced by Senators Mike Rounds and Jon Tester, who assert that recent regulatory approvals of two cultivated meat products “undermine the important work of American livestock producers.” The bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.