AN ACT CONCERNING GENETICALLY ENGINEERED BABY FOOD.

OFFICE OF FISCAL ANALYSIS

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Hartford, CT 06106 ↓ (860) 240-0200

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sHB-6527

AN ACT CONCERNING GENETICALLY ENGINEERED BABY FOOD.

AMENDMENT

LCO No.: 7848

File Copy No.: 229

House Calendar No.: 172

State Impact: Potential Fiscal Impact in the Out Years

Municipal Impact: None

Explanation

The amendment strikes the underlying bill and its associated fiscal impact.

The amendment is not anticipated to result in a cost in either FY 14 or FY 15 as the requirement of any person to not sell, offer for sale, or distribute certain products is not anticipated to be implemented until the out years due to the bill's requirements needed prior to implementation.

The amendment specifies that the Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) implement the provisions within available appropriations. However, if the bill were to be implemented the cost to the state would be an estimated $117,632 in the out years due to requiring certain products to be labeled “Produced with Genetic Engineering” and adopting mandatory labeling laws for genetically engineered food. DCP may incur costs of $90,000 for a Consumer Protection Food Inspector and a part-time paralegal to respond to complaints and issues related to genetically engineered products. This includes salaries ($80,000) and other expenses ($10,000) including computers, software, travel and fringe benefits ($27,632). The additional staff will need to examine the chain of production of suspect products in order to determine if such products meet the requirements of the bill. The cost could vary depending on the timing of implementation.

The preceding Fiscal Impact statement is prepared for the benefit of the members of the General Assembly, solely for the purposes of information, summarization and explanation and does not represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber thereof for any purpose. In general, fiscal impacts are based upon a variety of informational sources, including the analyst's professional knowledge. Whenever applicable, agency data is consulted as part of the analysis, however final products do not necessarily reflect an assessment from any specific department.