VICTORY ON AB 541 !

VICTORY ON AB 541 !
Thanks to support from many like us, California's first state bill to address the many issues raised by genetic engineering has become law! On Saturday Sept. 27, Governor Schwarzenegger signed AB 541. The bill that had been introduced early in 2007 with much more comprehensive provisions. Due to powerful opposition led by California Farm Bureau, its author (Assemblymember Jared Huffman) and sponsors (the Genetic Engineering Policy Project) began the arduous task of negotiation and compromise that so often characterizes the legislative process.

The bill is one of only a handful of states that have any restrictions on GE whatsoever. Of the other three that address farmer liability protections (Indiana, North Dakota and South Dakota), California's provides the broadest protections.

For more background on the original version of AB 541 - which its supporters remain committed to - please refer to the Cal GE-Free web site http://www.calgefree.org/speakout.html or the Genetic Engineering Policy Alliance web site. http://www.gepolicyalliance.org/

You can also review a copy of the final version of AB 541.
http://www.legislature.ca.gov/cgi-bin/port-postquery?bill_number=ab_541&sess=CUR&house=B&author=huffman