ASSEMBLY, No. 247

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 1996 SESSION

By Assemblyman GARCIA

An Act concerning notification to milk distributors and the labeling of milk or milk products derived from dairy cows treated with recombinant bovine somatotropin and supplementing P.L.1964, c.62 (C.24:10-57.1 et seq.).

    Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

    1. A milk producer shall notify, by affidavit, a milk distributor before using recombinant bovine somatotropin (rbST). A milk distributor may require up to 90 days' notice from a milk producer before the producer uses recombinant bovine somatotropin in milk production. A milk producer using recombinant bovine somatotropin prior to the effective date of this act shall immediately notify the milk distributor by affidavit.

    As used in this act, "recombinant bovine somatotropin (rbST)" means a recombinant bovine growth hormone used with lactating dairy cows to increase the production of marketable milk.

    2. If recombinant bovine somatotropin is used in the production of milk and milk products for retail sale in this State, the retail milk or milk product shall be labeled as such, in a manner that is clearly legible to the consumer.

    3. The Commissioner of the Department of Health shall adopt within 90 days of the effective date of this act rules and regulations regarding the labeling on packages of milk and milk products that contain recombinant bovine somatotropin and develop an affidavit form to be used by milk producers to notify milk distributors of the use of recombinant bovine somatotropin (rbST). The rules and regulations shall be consistent, where appropriate, with guidelines of the United States Food and Drug Administration.

    4. Sections 3 and 4 of this act shall take effect immediately and the

remainder of this act shall take effect on the 120th day after enactment.

STATEMENT

    This bill requires a milk producer to notify a milk distributor before the producer uses recombinant bovine somatotropin (rbST). Recombinant bovine somatotropin is used to increase the production of marketable milk in lactating dairy cows. Under this bill, a milk distributor may require up to 90 days' notice from a milk producer before the producer may use rbST. If the producer is using rbST prior to the effective date, the producer shall immediately notify the distributor. This bill also requires that milk and milk products containing rbST to be labeled as such, in a manner that is clearly legible to the consumer.

Requires that milk and milk products derived from dairy cows treated with recombinant bovine somatotropin (rbST) be labeled as such and notice be provided to milk distributors of the use of rbST.