Public Law 114-216

[5] The "GMO labeling bill"[6] was introduced on 17 March 2015 by its sponsor, Sen. Roger F. Wicker (R-MS),[1] cosponsored by Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK), and passed Senate and House in June 2016.

[12] The agency commented that the bill has language that may allow GMO material to escape labeling: the bill requires labeling if the food contains "genetic material", but that may exempt secondary products like oil, starches, sweeteners, or proteins derived from GMO substrates.

[12] The agency questioned the specificity of the definition of bioengineered food when it would not apply to GMOs that could also be achieved by "conventional breeding".

[12] As the details of the law need to be worked out, USDA established a working group by September 2016 "to develop a timeline for rulemaking and to ensure an open and transparent process for effectively establishing this new program, which will increase consumer confidence and understanding of the foods they buy, and avoid uncertainty for food companies and farmers".

[13] Public Law 114-216 was passed after previous attempts to introduce a national GMO labeling bill had failed.

Katie Hill, White House spokesperson, lauded the bill, "(t)his measure will provide new opportunities for consumers to have access to information about their food".

[18] Proponents argue that approved GMO food has undergone extensive testing, is "safe" and that basically labeling is unnecessary.

[6] Thus, a 2013 poll by the New York Times indicated that ninety-three percent of American consumers would like to know if their food has been genetically modified.

[19] The primary objection to the bill is that manufacturers have the option to use electronic codes in lieu of clear readable labels placed directly on the food package, which they argue hides the information.