Prohibits the manufacture for sale, sale, hold or offer for sale, or distribution of lab grown meat or 3D printed meat in the state; creates penalties for violations.
This bill would amend the Agriculture and Markets Law to prohibit the manufacture for sale, sale, offering for sale, holding for sale, or distribution of lab grown meat and 3D printed meat in New York State. It adds statutory definitions for “lab grown meat,” “3D printed meat,” and “plant-based meat,” and expressly excludes plant-based meat from the ban. The bill also retains and restates existing provisions prohibiting the sale or distribution of dog or cat meat, but its main new policy change is the statewide prohibition on cultivated and additive-manufactured meat products.
The bill creates enforcement mechanisms and penalties for violations. Knowing violations would be a class B misdemeanor, and food establishments involved in prohibited activity could face civil penalties, possible license suspension under applicable licensing laws, seizure and quarantine of products, and department-issued notices of violation. The Department of Agriculture and Markets would be authorized to inspect facilities, products, ingredients, processes, records, and labeling to determine whether a product falls within the ban, and it could adopt rules, standards, and documentation requirements to implement the law. Civil penalties collected under the bill would be directed to the animal population control fund.
The bill’s impact on state law would be significant for producers, distributors, retailers, and restaurants dealing in cultivated meat or 3D printed meat, because it would make those products unlawful to market or sell in New York. It would also expand the department’s regulatory and enforcement authority over food products and production records related to these items. By contrast, plant-based meat alternatives such as soy- or pea-based products would remain lawful under the bill.
No committee transcript or vote record was provided, so there is no documented floor or committee sentiment to summarize from official debate. Based on the bill text and caption alone, the measure appears strongly restrictive and protective of conventional agriculture, with an apparent policy preference against emerging meat technologies. Because there are no recorded votes or discussion excerpts, there is no direct evidence of bipartisan support or opposition in the supplied materials.
The main point of contention likely concerns whether New York should prohibit an emerging food technology rather than regulate it. Supporters would likely frame the bill as protecting consumers, traditional livestock agriculture, and food safety oversight, while opponents would likely argue that it blocks innovation, limits market competition, and may be difficult to justify given that the products are not conventional slaughtered meat. The bill’s broad inspection and documentation powers, along with criminal and civil penalties, would also likely be contested by affected businesses and food-tech companies.
The bill would amend the Agriculture and Markets Law to make lab grown meat and 3D printed meat unlawful to manufacture for sale, sell, offer for sale, hold for sale, or distribute in New York, while expressly exempting plant-based meat. It would add definitions for these product categories, authorize the Department of Agriculture and Markets to inspect facilities and records to determine compliance, and establish civil and criminal penalties, product seizure/quarantine authority, and possible license suspension for businesses involved in violations. It would also direct collected civil penalties to the animal population control fund.
No committee discussion or vote history was provided, so there is no recorded legislative sentiment to summarize from the supplied materials. The bill text itself suggests a restrictive, anti-cultivated-meat posture and a favorable view of conventional agriculture and plant-based alternatives. In the absence of debate or votes, the best characterization is that the measure is policy-driven and precautionary rather than consensus-based.
The likely central dispute is over whether New York should ban cultivated meat and 3D printed meat outright or allow them under regulation. Supporters would likely emphasize consumer protection, regulatory certainty, and support for traditional livestock producers, while opponents would likely object that the bill suppresses food innovation, burdens emerging businesses, and gives the state broad inspection and enforcement authority. The inclusion of criminal penalties, civil fines, and license consequences would also be a likely point of concern for food-tech firms, restaurants, and distributors.