The Senate Agriculture Committee is likely to set a date for a biotechnology hearing later this week, says a spokeswoman. It would be the first sign in months of movement in the chamber on legislation to pre-empt state laws on GMO food labeling and to keep labeling voluntary on the federal level. The House passed a pre-emption bill, HR 1599, on a landslide vote in July, but it has sat idle in the Senate while North Dakotan John Hoeven has sought a Democratic co-sponsor and signs of a majority in support of the bill. A Hoeven spokesman did not respond immediately to questions about whether the senator would proceed without bipartisan support.
The food industry says congressional action is needed this year to avert additional costs from Vermont’s first-in-the-nation GMO label law, which is to take effect July 1. Politico quoted the leader of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives as saying a Senate pre-emption bill may be filed in coming days with only Republican sponsors.