Despite opposition from many environmental, health and consumer rights organizations, 39 state Attorneys General, 7 state Governors, the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, the Association of Food and Drug Officials, the National Conference of State Legislators and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, the United States House of Representatives passed H.R. 4167, The National Uniformity for Food Act, on Wednesday, March 8th. A companion bill, SB 3128, has now been introduced in the Senate by Senator Burr, AND IS SET TO BE HEARD JULY 27TH. 
  
Pushed forward by the food industry under the guise of promoting “uniformity” of food safety and labeling laws in the U.S., the bill requires all state food safety laws to be identical to the requirements of
the Federal Food and Drug Administration.  If the FDA has not passed a regulation on a food threat, then all state regulations on that threat would immediately be voided.  And, since the states regulate many food safety issues not covered by the FDA, many food safety laws will be voided and replaced with no law at all. 
 
While special interests trumped public interest in the House, we still have a strong chance to stop this dangerous legislation in the Senate.  Now the Senators on the HELP committee need to know that we oppose any attempts to strip state's abilities to protect and inform their own citizens concerning food safety and labeling issues.
 
CONTACT YOUR SENATOR ON THE HELP COMMITTEE TODAY TO OPPOSE THIS DANGEROUS BILL!

**Because the majority of Senators on the HELP Committee do not have direct email addresses, and instead use web forms designed to only accept comments from citizens residing within their district, you will only be able to take action online if your Senator is a HELP committee member. We encourage you to call other committee members, or download and fax your letter to other members. You can view committee member information HERE. Additionally, the Senate web forms require prefix, name, address and email in order to be accepted, which is why they required here.

Sample Letter for Campaign

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

I am very troubled by this industry-supported bill. It is an obvious attempt at eliminating state food safety and labeling laws on behalf of the food industry and at the expense of the rights of citizens and their state and local governments to protect their own public health. Because the FDA does not comprehensively regulate food safety, eliminating all state laws unless they are identical to FDA requirements will eliminate approximately 200 state food safety and labeling laws. The "uniformity" created by this bill will in many instances be the uniform absence of food safety laws.

Local and state officials are now responsible for 80% of the nation's food safety enforcement. SB 3128 puts a strangle hold on the people most informed about local needs. The bill was opposed by the Association of State Departments of Agriculture, the Association of Food and Drug Officials, 39 state Attorneys General, the National Conference of State Legislators and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture. These authorities are right to be concerned about the risks to public health that SB 3128 presents.

Obviously special interests trumped public interest in the House, don't let that happen in the Senate. Please stand up for the rights of our local governments and citizens to protect our public health and food supply and oppose SB 3128.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
July 24, 2006