Legislation Details:

UPDATE: 3/22/2024 - SB 1648 died, it passed the full Senate on 2/22/2024 and it failed to be scheduled for a hearing in the House Land, Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee before the deadline for bills to be heard in their secondary chamber committee of 3/22/2024.

UPDATE: 2/27/2024 - SB 1648 was referred to the House Land, Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee on 2/27/2024. 

UPDATE: 2/22/2024 - SB 1648 passed the full Senate by a vote of 16 Ayes, 13 Nays, and 1 Not Voting on 2/22/2024. 

UPDATE: 2/21/2024 - SB 1648 was recommended Do Pass by the Senate Committee of the Whole on 2/21/2024. 

UPDATE: 2/15/2024 - SB 1648 was recommended Do Pass in the Senate Natural Resources, Energy, and Water Committee by a vote of 4-2-1 on 2/15/2024. 

SB 1648 was introduced and assigned to the Senate Natural Resources, Energy, and Water Committee on 2/5/2024. This bill is sponsored by Senator Ken Bennett.

SB 1648 prohibits the Director of Arizona's Department of Agriculture and State Veterinarian from requiring or administering mRNA vaccines without full USDA/FDA approval and allows for mRNA free labeling.

SB 1648 amends Title 3, regarding agriculture, to add Section 3-302 and amend Section 3-1203, summarized as follows:

SECTION 1. In part, adds Section 3-302 under Chapter 2, relating to regulatory provisions, and Article 4, relating to Arizona's Organic Food Certification Program:

(A) All aquaculture, livestock or poultry products that has not received a messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccination may be labeled to state that it has not received a mRNA vaccination with certain labeling requirements.

SECTION 2. amends Section 3-1203 under Chapter 11, regarding the regulation of livestock, and Article 1, relating to the animal services division:

(3) Clarifies that this paragraph does not authorize the Director or the State Veterinarian to require or administer a messenger ribonucleic acid vaccine that has not received full approval from either the United States Department of Agriculture or the United States Food and Drug Administration. Full approval does not include emergency approval.

NVIC SUPPORTS SB 1648 because it facilitates informed consent for consumers who do not want to consume food containing animals who have been given mRNA vaccines. NVIC supports informed consent. Without labeling these food products as containing mRNA-vaccinated animal matter, the consumer is unable to make an informed decision when they are choosing food for themselves or their family. An improvement on this bill would be to require all food containing any messenger ribonucleic acid-based (mRNA)-vaccinated products to be clearly labeled so that the consumer is informed of the food contents and can make an informed choice before consuming the product that contains mRNA-vaccinated matter. A better solution would be to prohibit companies from NOT labeling their mRNA vaccine-containing food products and exacting penalties on companies that do not comply. There are now plants being developed to deliver mRNA vaccines. Without labeling these products, consumers could easily be vaccinated without their consent or knowledge. This could conflict with federal vaccine consent law. There is insufficient evidence to support the safety of mRNA-based vaccines for human consumption.