Bill
H 3286
SC bill bans labeling plant-based or insect-based meats as meat, clean-meat, or meat-food; violators face up to 1 year in jail and a $1,000 fine, effective after governor approval.
Status snapshot
- Jurisdiction (as presented): South Carolina
- Prefiled: 12/05/2024
- Introduced / first reading (recorded): 01/14/2025
- Referred to: Committee on Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs
- Hearing scheduled (per record): 07/15/2025, 1:00–5:00 PM in B‑1
- Note: The packet also includes an unrelated Massachusetts House docket (No. 3286) about municipal insurance procurement. That text appears to be a different bill and is not part of the South Carolina meat-labeling measure; consider verifying the correct bill text and jurisdiction before relying on procedural dates.
Purpose and intent
The bill would add a new Article 7 to Chapter 17, Title 47 of the South Carolina Code to prohibit certain labeling and marketing of plant‑based and insect‑based food products. Its stated aim is to prevent these products from being advertised, offered for sale, or sold using the words “meat,” “clean‑meat,” or “meat‑food” when the product is plant‑based or insect‑based.
Key provisions
- Adds Article 7, “Insect‑based and Plant‑based Meat,” to Chapter 17, Title 47.
- Section 47‑17‑710: Prohibits a person who advertises, offers for sale, or sells “all or part of a carcass” from engaging in “misleading or deceptive practices, labeling, or misrepresenting a product as ‘meat,’ ‘clean‑meat,’ or a ‘meat‑food’ product” where the product is a plant‑based or insect‑based food product.
- (The draft language includes a reference to selling “all or part of a carcass,” which appears inconsistent with the stated focus on plant/insect products and could create ambiguity in interpretation/enforcement.)
- Section 47‑17‑720: Establishes criminal penalties — a violation is a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year imprisonment, a fine not exceeding $1,000, or both.
- Effective date: Upon approval by the Governor.
Who would be affected
- Food manufacturers and product formulators producing plant‑based or insect‑based protein products.
- Retailers, distributors, restaurants, food service providers, and marketers who advertise or sell those products in South Carolina.
- Labeling/packaging firms and advertising agencies working on such products.
- Consumers, to the extent the law alters labeling, marketing, and product descriptions available at point of sale.
Potential impacts and issues to watch
- Compliance costs for producers and sellers to revise labels, packaging, menus, and marketing.
- Enforcement questions: which state agency/entity would enforce the new article is not specified in the text provided.
- Legal/interpretive issues: the reference to “carcass” and the criminal misdemeanor penalty may raise disputes over scope and constitutionality (e.g., commercial speech challenges), though enforcement history and interpretation would matter.
- Market effects: could affect branding and consumer understanding of plant‑based and insect‑based alternatives if terms commonly used in industry are restricted.
Procedural/administrative notes
- The text indicates immediate effect upon gubernatorial approval.
- The legislative packet contains conflicting materials (a Massachusetts procurement bill under the same docket number). Confirm the correct jurisdictional text and track committee actions with the relevant legislative clerk or website for up‑to‑date status.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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