Rep. Lauwers offered the following resolution:

            House Resolution No. 89.  

            A resolution to urge the Congress of the United States to pass legislation that establishes a national, uniform, and scientifically-based label program for genetically modified food.

            Whereas, Genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, have become increasingly prominent in today's grocery marketplace. In recent years, scientists have used genetic engineering techniques to modify the DNA of plants to make them resistant to certain pests, diseases, environmental conditions, and chemical treatments. GMOs help increase crop yields, constrain food prices, and vitally support Michigan's agriculture, food processing, and other industries. Commonly found in crops like corn, soybeans, cotton, and canola, 70 to 80 percent of the foods Americans eat today contain GMOs. In 2014, 100 percent of all sugar, 93 percent of all corn, and 91 percent of all soybeans grown in Michigan were produced using GMOs; and

            Whereas, Despite the widespread use of GMOs, there is no federal GMO labeling standard. Absent these rules, some states and localities have developed their own proposals, leading to a patchwork of regulation that can be confusing and possibly misleading to consumers. Moreover, a maze of GMO labeling regulations increases agriculture and food production costs, requiring food companies operating in Michigan to create separate supply chains in each state. Ultimately, this could significantly increase the average price consumers spend at grocery stores, which could average an extra $500 per year according to a Cornell University study; and

            Whereas, Federal legislation must be passed to avoid this patchwork of regulations and the costly ramifications it creates. Legislation like the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act, H.R. 1599, sponsored by congressmen Pompeo and Butterfield, is a bipartisan solution needed to allow consumers to have access to accurate and consistent information on the products that contain GMOs. A USDA-administered certification and labeling program modeled after the USDA organic labeling program for non-GMO foods would ensure that labeling is nationwide, uniform, and scientifically-based; now, therefore, be it

            Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we urge the Congress of the United States to pass legislation that establishes a national, uniform, and scientifically-based label program for genetically modified food; and be it further

            Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and the members of the Michigan congressional delegation.