AB121: Bill Text

LRB-1989/1

RCT:jrd:km

1995 - 1996 LEGISLATURE

1995 Assembly BILL 121

February 8, 1995 - Introduced by Representatives Baldus, Gronemus, Boyle, R. Young, Turner, Hanson, Bell, Plombon, Hasenohrl, Krug and Grobschmidt, cosponsored by Senators Clausing, Decker, Wineke, Moen, Burke and Breske. Referred to Committee on Agriculture.

AB121,1,2 An Act to amend 97.25 (3) of the statutes; relating to: requirements for labeling dairy products as being free of synthetic bovine growth hormone.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Current law requires the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection (DATCP) to promulgate rules authorizing a person who complies with the rules to place a statement on the label of a dairy product indicating that the dairy product is farmer-certified to be free of synthetic bovine growth hormone (also referred to as rBGH). The statement must be based upon affidavits from the dairy farmers who provided the milk from which the dairy product is produced.

This bill specifies that a label indicating that a dairy product is farmer certified to be free of rBGH must be based on signed statements from dairy farmers, rather than affidavits, and prohibits DATCP from requiring the statements to be notarized.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

AB121, s. 1 Section 1. 97.25 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB121,2,3 97.25 (3) Rules. The department shall promulgate rules authorizing the operator of a dairy plant licensed under s. 97.20, a retail food establishment licensed under s. 97.30 or a restaurant with a permit under s. 50.51 who complies with the rules to place upon the label of a dairy product the statement "Farmer-certified rBGH free." or an equivalent statement that is not false or misleading. The statement shall be based upon affidavits signed statements from milk producers stating that the milk producers do not use synthetic bovine growth hormone for the production of milk. The department may not require the signed statements to be notarized.

AB121,2,4 (End)