The U.S. Senate voted Wednesday against a cloture motion to advance The Biotechnology Labeling Solutions Act, a bill that would preempt state-by-state laws mandating the labeling of foods containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs).  The bill was blocked when it did not receive the 60 votes needed, instead receiving 48 “yea” and 49 “nay” votes.

The bill was introduced by Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts (R-KS) in order to prevent “patchwork” labeling laws for GMOs in each state, wherein states would define how and which foods contain GMOs, and how those foods should be labeled. As an alternative, the proposed bill would construct a federal policy to disclose foods that contain genetic engineering through a variety of communication methods such as websites or smart scanning technology.  The bill had previously been introduced and passed through the Senate Agriculture Committee on March 1 with no amendments.

A number of states have developed genetic engineering labeling laws, including Vermont, Connecticut, and Maine. However, Vermont is the only state that will enact its law independently on July 1 2016. Connecticut and Maine’s laws may only be enacted if neighboring states adopt labeling laws. Members of the Senate remain optimistic that a compromise will be achieved prior to mandatory labeling in Vermont this summer.

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