Georgia 2025-2026 Regular Session

Georgia Senate Bill SB365 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	25 LC 60 0162
2	2	Senate Bill 365
3	3	By: Senators Watson of the 11th, Goodman of the 8th, Anderson of the 24th, Echols of the
4	4	49th, Moore of the 53rd and others
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	To amend Titles 2 and 4 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to agriculture
8	8	1
9	9	and animals, respectively, so as to enhance transparency with respect to the marketing of2
10	10	produce and meat in this state; to provide for routine testing of produce for prohibited3
11	11	substances by large-scale organic produce producers; to provide for health risk management4
12	12	procedures with respect to the same; to provide for source verification and disclosure5
13	13	requirements by large-scale grassfed meat producers; to provide for disclosures, testing, and6
14	14	health risk management procedures with respect to older cattle; to provide for routine avian7
15	15	influenza testing by large-scale pasture-raised poultry producers; to provide for health risk8
16	16	management procedures with respect to the same; to provide for penalties; to provide for9
17	17	definitions; to provide for a short title; to provide for related matters; to provide for an10
18	18	effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.11
19	19	BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:12
20	20	SECTION 1.13
21	21	This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "Georgia Meat and Organic Produce14
22	22	Transparency and Safety Act."15
23	23	S. B. 365
24	24	- 1 - 25 LC 60 0162
25	25	SECTION 2.
26	26	16
27	27	Title 2 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating agriculture, is amended in17
28	28	Chapter 21, relating to organic certification and labeling, by adding a new Code section to18
29	29	read follows:19
30	30	"2-21-3.1.
31	31	20
32	32	(a) As used in this Code section, the term:21
33	33	(1) 'Large-scale organic produce producer' means any person engaged in the production22
34	34	of organic produce in this state with annual gross sales of at least $500,000.00 per year.23
35	35	(2) 'Organic produce' means any fruit, vegetable, mushroom, sprout, peanut, tree nut,24
36	36	or herb labeled, advertised, or otherwise marketed as organic. Such term shall not25
37	37	include the small, hard fruits or seeds of arable crops, or the crops bearing these fruits or26
38	38	seeds, that are primarily grown and processed for use as meal, flour, baked goods,27
39	39	cereals, and oils, rather than for direct consumption as small, hard fruits or seeds.28
40	40	(b)(1) On or after January 1, 2026, large-scale organic produce producers shall conduct29
41	41	routine testing of organic produce as follows:30
42	42	(A) A minimum of 3 percent of organic produce shall be randomly selected and tested31
43	43	on a monthly basis for prohibited substances as defined in 21 C.F.R. 205.105;32
44	44	(B) Testing shall be conducted by a facility approved by the United States Department33
45	45	of Agriculture for organic testing; and34
46	46	(C) Records of all testing shall be maintained for a minimum of five years and made35
47	47	available to the department upon request.36
48	48	(2) If, during testing pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection, any prohibited37
49	49	substance is detected at a level exceeding any federal limits, the producer shall:38
50	50	(A) Immediately notify the department and United States Department of Agriculture39
51	51	Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service; and40
52	52	(B) Cease sales and distribution of any affected organic produce until further guidance41
53	53	is provided by state and federal authorities."42
54	54	S. B. 365
55	55	- 2 - 25 LC 60 0162
56	56	SECTION 3.
57	57	43
58	58	Title 4 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to animals, is amended in Article44
59	59	1 of Chapter 6, relating to livestock dealers, by adding a new Code section to read as45
60	60	follows:46
61	61	"4-6-13.
62	62	47
63	63	(a) As used in this Code section, the term:48
64	64	(1) 'Culling' means any process of removing certain livestock from primary meat49
65	65	production activities, including, but not limited to, sale through livestock markets, sale50
66	66	for processing due to health or age factors, or transfer to nonspecialty production systems.51
67	67	(2) 'Grassfed meat producer' means any person engaged in the production, processing,52
68	68	or sale of meat, including beef, pork, lamb, and goat, but excluding poultry, labeled,53
69	69	advertised, or otherwise marketed as grassfed, pasture-raised, or regeneratively raised,54
70	70	or under similar animal-raising claims.55
71	71	(3) 'Large-scale grassfed meat producer' means a grassfed meat producer located in this56
72	72	state with annual gross sales of meat products of at least $1 million per year.57
73	73	(4) 'Large-scale pasture-raised poultry producer' means a pasture-raised poultry producer58
74	74	located in this state with annual gross sales of poultry products of at least $250,000.0059
75	75	per year.60
76	76	(5) 'Livestock market' means any facility where livestock are bought, sold, or traded61
77	77	through public or private sale, including, but not limited to, auctions, stockyards, and62
78	78	trading barns.63
79	79	(6) 'Older cattle' means any cattle over five years of age at the time of slaughter.64
80	80	(7) 'Pasture-raised poultry producer' means any person engaged in the production,65
81	81	processing, or sale of poultry labeled, advertised, or otherwise marketed as pasture-raised66
82	82	or free-range, or under similar animal-raising claims.67
83	83	(8) 'Regeneratively raised' means, with respect to livestock, raised under a system of68
84	84	farming that seeks to improve soil health, biodiversity, and ecosystem resilience.69
85	85	S. B. 365
86	86	- 3 - 25 LC 60 0162
87	87	(9) 'Specified risk material' means, with respect to cattle, tissues considered to be of high70
88	88	risk for potentially carrying transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, including, but71
89	89	not limited to, the brain and spinal cord tissues.72
90	90	(b)(1) All large-scale grassfed meat producers shall maintain records sufficient to verify73
91	91	the source and management history of all livestock used in their meat production,74
92	92	including, but not limited to:75
93	93	(A) Livestock birth records;76
94	94	(B) Livestock feeding records;77
95	95	(C) Any transfer of ownership or transportation of livestock; and78
96	96	(D) Any other documentation required by the United States Department of Agriculture.79
97	97	(2) Such records shall be made available for inspection by the department upon request80
98	98	and retained for a minimum of five years.81
99	99	(c)(1) All large-scale grassfed meat producers that label, advertise, or otherwise market82
100	100	meat produced from livestock as grassfed, pasture-raised, or regeneratively raised, or83
101	101	under similar animal-raising claims shall include a clearly legible and conspicuous84
102	102	written disclosure stating whether the livestock:85
103	103	(A) Has been sold through a livestock market or auction;86
104	104	(B) Has been subject to culling prior to final sale;87
105	105	(C) Has been continuously managed under the specified production protocols without88
106	106	interruption;89
107	107	(D) Received feed that deviates from the marketed designation, such as grassfed cattle90
108	108	receiving grain at any point; and91
109	109	(E) Were over the age of five years at the time of slaughter.92
110	110	(2) Such disclosure shall be made available at the point of sale, on packaging or93
111	111	promotional materials, and on any official website or sales platform used by the94
112	112	large-scale grassfed meat producer.95
113	113	S. B. 365
114	114	- 4 - 25 LC 60 0162
115	115	(d)(1) All large-scale grassfed meat producers that sell beef produced from older cattle96
116	116	shall publicly disclose this fact through:97
117	117	(A) A clearly legible and conspicuous label on the packaging stating: 'This beef is from98
118	118	cattle over 5 years of age.'; and99
119	119	(B) Online sales listings or menus specifying when beef is sourced from older cattle.100
120	120	(2)(A) All older cattle used to produce beef shall undergo testing of specified risk101
121	121	materials at the time of slaughter for transmissible spongiform encephalopathies,102
122	122	including, but not limited to, testing for abnormal prion proteins linked to bovine103
123	123	spongiform encephalopathy, in accordance with any requirements set forth by the104
124	124	United States Department of Agriculture.105
125	125	(B) A large-scale grassfed meat producer shall dispose of any specified risk materials106
126	126	in accordance with any requirements set forth by the United States Department of107
127	127	Agriculture and the United States Food and Drug Administration.108
128	128	(C) A large-scale grassfed meat producer shall maintain documentation proving109
129	129	compliance with subparagraph (A) of this paragraph for no less than five years.110
130	130	(3) If a positive case of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies is detected, the111
131	131	large-scale grassfed meat producer shall immediately:112
132	132	(A) Notify the department and United States Department of Agriculture Animal and113
133	133	Plant Health Inspection Service; and114
134	134	(B) Cease sales and distribution of any beef products from the affected herd and follow115
135	135	any requirements set forth by the department and the United States Department of116
136	136	Agriculture.117
137	137	(e)(1) All large-scale pasture-raised poultry producers shall conduct routine avian118
138	138	influenza testing as follows:119
139	139	(A) A minimum of 3 percent of live poultry flocks shall be tested on a weekly basis for120
140	140	highly pathogenic avian influenza and low pathogenic avian influenza;121
141	141	S. B. 365
142	142	- 5 - 25 LC 60 0162
143	143	(B) Testing shall be conducted by an accredited laboratory using United States122
144	144	Department of Agriculture approved methods; and123
145	145	(C) Records of all testing shall be maintained for a minimum of five years and made124
146	146	available to the department upon request.125
147	147	(2) If a positive case of highly pathogenic avian influenza is detected, the large-scale126
148	148	pasture-raised poultry producer shall immediately:127
149	149	(A) Notify the department and United States Department of Agriculture Animal and128
150	150	Plant Health Inspection Service;129
151	151	(B) Cease sales and distribution of poultry products from the affected flock until130
152	152	further guidance is provided by state and federal authorities; and131
153	153	(C) Implement biosecurity measures to prevent disease spread, including flock culling132
154	154	if required by United States Department of Agriculture regulations.133
155	155	(3) Any failure to comply with avian influenza testing requirements set forth in this134
156	156	subsection shall result in penalties as outlined in subsection (g) of this Code section.135
157	157	(f)(1) Large-scale grassfed meat producers and large-scale pasture-raised poultry136
158	158	producers that label, advertise, or otherwise market multiple types of meat as grassfed,137
159	159	pasture-raised, free-range, or regeneratively raised, or under similar animal-raising claims138
160	160	shall ensure separate and verifiable tracking for each species.139
161	161	(2) Large-scale grassfed meat producers and large-scale pasture-raised poultry producers140
162	162	engaged in direct-to-consumer online sales shall provide consumers with accessible141
163	163	sourcing verification through a scannable QR code, public webpage, or other verifiable142
164	164	digital record.143
165	165	(g) Any large-scale grassfed meat producer or large-scale pasture-raised poultry producer144
166	166	found in violation of this Code section shall be subject to:145
167	167	(1) A civil penalty not to exceed $5,000.00 per violation for a first offense;146
168	168	(2) A civil penalty not to exceed $10,000.00 per violation for subsequent offenses; and147
169	169	S. B. 365
170	170	- 6 - 25 LC 60 0162
171	171	(3) Revocation or suspension of such producer's ability to market or sell meat or poultry148
172	172	products within this state under the designations of grassfed pasture-raised, free-range,149
173	173	or regeneratively raised, or under similar animal-raising claims for repeated150
174	174	noncompliance."151
175	175	SECTION 4.152
176	176	This Act shall become effective on January 1, 2026.153
177	177	SECTION 5.154
178	178	All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.155
179	179	S. B. 365
180	180	- 7 -