[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 100 (Wednesday, May 23, 2018)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 23827]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-11025]


 ========================================================================
 Proposed Rules
                                                 Federal Register
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of 
 the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these 
 notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in 
 the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.
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  Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 100 / Wednesday, May 23, 2018 / 
Proposed Rules  

[[Page 23827]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

7 CFR Part 66

[Doc. No. AMS-TM-17-0050]


National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.

ACTION: Proposed rule; notice of availability of informational webinar.

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SUMMARY: The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is announcing the 
availability of an informational webinar regarding the proposed 
National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard (NBFDS or standard). 
The proposed standard would require food manufacturers and other 
entities that label foods for retail sale to disclose information about 
bioengineered food and bioengineered food ingredients. The pre-recorded 
webinar will provide an overview of the background, provisions, and 
potential impacts of the proposed standard. Establishment and 
implementation of the new standard is required by recent amendment to 
the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946.

DATES: The webinar will be made available on the AMS website at https://www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations beginning June 1, 2018.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Email: [email protected]; 
telephone: (202) 690-1300; or Fax: (202) 690-0338. Comments on the 
proposed rule sent to this email address will not be considered. 
Comments must be submitted through regulations.gov; by mail to the 
Docket Clerk, 1400 Independence Ave., AS, Room 4543-S, Washington, DC 
20250; or by Fax to (202) 690-0338.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July 29, 2016, Public Law 114-216 amended 
the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1621 et seq.), as 
amended, and directed the Secretary of Agriculture to establish the 
NBFDS for disclosing any food that is or may be bioengineered. AMS 
published a proposed rule regarding the new standard in the Federal 
Register on May 4, 2018 (83 FR 19860). The proposed rule announced that 
AMS would be providing a webinar regarding the proposed NBFDS. The 
webinar, which is pre-recorded, will be made available to interested 
persons on the AMS website at https://www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations beginning June 1, 2018. The webinar is intended to supply 
basic information about the proposed rule and several regulatory 
alternatives on which AMS is seeking public comment.
    The rule seeks comments on the proposed scope of the standard, 
including what foods should bear disclosures and what entities would be 
responsible for making disclosures. The rule proposes several 
alternatives for consideration, including methods of disclosure, and 
outlines procedures for recordkeeping and compliance. The proposed rule 
also seeks comments on the recordkeeping and information collection 
burden associated with the new standard. Comments on the proposed rule 
and on the information collection are being accepted through July 3, 
2018, and should be submitted as directed in the May 4, 2018, Federal 
Register document.
    In conjunction with the proposed rule, AMS published a Regulatory 
Impact Analysis, which describes potential impacts of the rule under 
alternative scenarios. Comments on the regulatory impacts of the 
proposed NBFDS are also invited. The full text of the proposed rule, as 
well as the Regulatory Impact Analysis, may be viewed at 
www.regulations.gov.

    Authority:  7 U.S.C. 1621 et seq.

    Dated: May 18, 2018.
Bruce Summers,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2018-11025 Filed 5-22-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-02-P