[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6122515,"mediaKeyId","2694757-1b2f7d5fc719263b5aa4875db6f11ef3","parentId",2694757,"title","Senate agriculture committee reports bill to ban sale and manufacture of lab-grown meat","audioSeconds",268,"startMs",2345000,"endMs",2613000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2694757-1b2f7d5fc719263b5aa4875db6f11ef3&start=2345&end=2613","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2694757-1b2f7d5fc719263b5aa4875db6f11ef3/thumbnail_2345000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6122515/West-Virginia/Senate-agriculture-committee-reports-bill-to-ban-sale-and-manufacture-of-lab-grown-meat","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6122515-1cd30f190c1bd43ea797682b2f1a04f5/orig.mp4?Expires=1775083979&Signature=cqIMahJ1SoT~-SD8Tyi3uCPzoa-rcmyX-VaJYJJ4qHtgFEuCoZIk9M-Asw-R5R~PqAIoXOjklG9-FljbhzzucdOnuFrABNCJf-3FD4iygoYd6CVfRtiTmA87~wuzUt7gZo95fIq8Dvhsk-lSc0syJxJW539DI4~gN5XBxCiQuZXjCpj6mK81nuO71fvct3RYNA3Ki72Dg8RrE-TqPh78inuieuTotRnbwd98shuRPIBLVc2Pt4lH7YN1X18klr57tEUuOfsLdDHt50~s8v3RteanBXs-wO90qEEo2mpr0x-IFmg8w5U0TfYuS94WWplmUyId7~fTEJiZtyC6pRe2Kg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","West Virginia Legislature","date","2025-03-19T00:00:00Z","article","The West Virginia Senate Agriculture Committee voted to report Senate Bill 751 to the full Senate with a recommendation that it pass and, under its double reference, first be referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

The bill would create a new section of state code prohibiting the manufacture, sale or distribution of lab-grown (cultivated) products described to resemble egg, fish, meat or poultry, with criminal penalties and an administrative enforcement mechanism. Committee counsel summarized the measure and invited questions.

Committee counsel told the committee the bill would make the manufacture, sale or distribution of cultivated meat a misdemeanor and set penalties at a maximum fine of $500 or a maximum term of imprisonment of one year. Counsel also said the Department of Health would be authorized to suspend a food establishment's operating permit after written notice and a hearing for alleged violations; the establishment could resume operations after the period of suspension. Counsel said the bill does not prohibit research on lab-grown meat products and provides for rulemaking to implement the measure.

Senator from Jefferson asked how enforcement would work, asking whether ‘‘it'd be law enforcement?’’ Committee counsel confirmed that the bill includes criminal penalties and that the Department of Health could pursue administrative permit suspensions as a civil enforcement tool.

Committee counsel also noted that a separate law, referred to in committee as the Truth in Food Labeling Act, already addresses labeling of these products in state code; counsel said SB 751 would go further by preempting labeling and flatly prohibiting sale, manufacture and distribution of cultivated meat within the state. Counsel told the panel that several other states have considered or passed similar measures.

Vice Chair moved that SB 751 be reported to the full Senate with a recommendation that it do pass, subject to the bill's original double reference to the Judiciary Committee. The chair put the question by voice vote and declared the motion adopted; the committee did not record individual roll-call votes.

With the committee's recommendation, the bill will proceed to the Judiciary Committee before the full Senate considers it.

Votes at a glance: SB 751 — Motion to report to full Senate with recommendation that it pass and to refer first to Judiciary; mover: Vice Chair (Senate Agriculture Committee); outcome: adopted by voice vote; vote tally not specified.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","WV Senate Agriculture Committee in Session Mar 19, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The West Virginia Senate Agriculture Committee voted to report Senate Bill 751 to the full Senate with a recommendation that it pass and, under its double reference, first be referred to the Judiciary Committee.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature WV, West Virginia","taxId",77714,"location","West Virginia","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6122510,"Committee keeps pet-food fee funding for statewide spay-and-neuter program, adds farm-product permitting exemption",107,2629000,2736000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2694757-1b2f7d5fc719263b5aa4875db6f11ef3&start=2629&end=2736","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2694757-1b2f7d5fc719263b5aa4875db6f11ef3/thumbnail_2629000.jpg","/articles/6122510/West-Virginia/Committee-keeps-pet-food-fee-funding-for-statewide-spay-and-neuter-program-adds-farm-product-permitting-exemption","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6122510-fb2a3f2043d0bc027a2e127553c70586/orig.mp4?Expires=1775083979&Signature=jsZDwdU7jgv131g--rvnOouyrJh2f1A8KDRobwtNWmxtipvBmDBaBfhfDERE9gMt4wffcw2X86yPlRoJ2SnX3DeU6TvbjK4IK61BoXwHgHkKfg9kr0vj8YXAIZqBP465t1DweRzYeyDu0tPQ8PC2kk23hj7lX6QiOHa1tKvtq7h276F0zBDdNhRGy127Cm3KG3phMr-tqaiO1l5kYFz8KCtP6olaouFx7K~zU71TR78BL5CD0nJcsE3cY0i3JbDmKv2vIJTbmPvK~A8tRYKfDrLtHRqnVCMfHHOW3HnHVnwr6aSMVradoQAASEBdvz2RRgMlEprreqBlIEAgJsByPQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The West Virginia Senate Agriculture Committee voted to report the engrossed committee substitute for House Bill 2158 to the full Senate with the recommendation that it pass as amended and, under the bill's double reference, first be referred to the committee on Government Organization.

Committee counsel told members that HB 2158 would amend West Virginia Code §19-4-5 to remove the June 2027 sunset on registration fees charged on bulk and non-bulk pet food packages; those fees are used to fund the West Virginia spay-and-neuter program. Removing the sunset would allow that funding mechanism to continue indefinitely.

Counsel said a strike-and-insert amendment before the committee incorporates changes from Senate Bill 686 (which passed the Senate the day before) to clarify that a person who sells products produced entirely on his or her own farm is not required to obtain a commercial feed distributor permit from the Department of Agriculture. Committee counsel explained the amendment prevents a code conflict between the fee statute and the permit requirements.

The vice chair moved the strike-and-insert amendment and the committee adopted the amendment by voice vote. The vice chair then moved that the engrossed committee substitute for HB 2158 be reported to the full Senate with a recommendation that it pass as amended and first be referred to the Government Organization Committee; the chair put the question by voice vote and declared the motion adopted. Committee members did not record individual roll-call votes in the committee transcript.

Committee counsel noted the current measure is identical to Senate Bill 578, which the committee had reported earlier, and that prior amendments from Senate Bill 686 were incorporated into the substitute before the panel.

With the committee's recommendation, HB 2158 will proceed to the Government Organization Committee under its double reference and then to the full Senate for further consideration.

Votes at a glance: HB 2158 (engrossed committee substitute) — Strike-and-insert amendment adopted; motion to report to full Senate with recommendation that it pass as amended and to refer first to Government Organization; mover: Vice Chair (Senate Agriculture Committee); outcome: adopted by voice vote; vote tally not specified.","The Senate Agriculture Committee reported the engrossed committee substitute for HB 2158 to the full Senate with a recommendation that it pass as amended and first be referred to the Government Organization Committee. The bill removes a June 2027 sunset on registration fees charged on pet food packages that fund the West Virginia spay-and-neuter","actionData","errors"]

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Senate agriculture committee reports bill to ban sale and manufacture of lab-grown meat

Committee keeps pet-food fee funding for statewide spay-and-neuter program, adds farm-product permitting exemption