HB  92-LABEL GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOOD                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:17:33 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR TALERICO announced  that the final order  of business is                                                               
HOUSE BILL  NO. 92,  "An Act  relating to  the labeling  of food;                                                               
relating to the  misbranding of food; requiring  labeling of food                                                               
produced  with   genetic  engineering;   and  providing   for  an                                                               
effective date."                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE TARR,  sponsor, related that over  the weekend she                                                               
received  105  emails  of  support  for  the  bill  from  Bethel,                                                               
Anchorage, Ketchikan,  Palmer, Fairbanks, Homer,  Kasilof, Sitka,                                                               
Hoonah, Juneau,  Talkeetna, Wasilla,  Nome, False  Pass, Douglas,                                                               
Wrangell, Soldotna,  Kodiak, Haines, Anchor Point,  Sterling, and                                                               
Pelican.   She provided  a brief introduction  of HB  92, stating                                                               
that it requires the labeling  of genetically modified foods sold                                                               
in Alaska.   It is located in  the same section of  statute as HB                                                               
14 and  is considered  a branding  issue.  She  said that  at the                                                               
next  hearing for  HB  92 she  will go  through  the reasons  why                                                               
people have  concerns about these  products, why they  are asking                                                               
for labeling, what is happening in other states and at the                                                                      
federal level, and how this could be accomplished in Alaska.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR TALERICO held over HB 92.