HB 201: Food; selling, offering for sale, trading, or distributing lab-grown meat; prohibit

Georgia law currently has no specific ban on lab-grown meat, meat grown from animal cells in a lab rather than from a slaughtered animal. This bill would add a new section to Georgia's meat advertising and sale law (O.C.G.A. § 26-2-162) that makes it a crime to sell, offer for sale, trade, or distribute lab-grown meat in the state. The bill defines 'animal' broadly to include cattle, swine, sheep, goats, fish, poultry (including eggs), and game animals raised for human consumption. It defines 'lab-grown meat' simply as cell-cultured meat, and defines 'meat' as the flesh, offal, or other by-product of a slaughtered animal's carcass. The bill does not spell out a specific penalty for violating the new prohibition or set an effective date beyond the standard process, and it repeals any conflicting Georgia laws.

• Adds a new Georgia Code section making it illegal to sell, offer for sale, trade, or distribute lab-grown (cell-cultured) meat.
• Defines 'animal' to cover cattle, swine, sheep, goats, fish, poultry, eggs, and game animals raised for human consumption.
• Defines 'lab-grown meat' as cell cultured meat and 'meat' as flesh, offal, or other by-product from a slaughtered animal's carcass.
• Repeals any existing Georgia laws that conflict with the new prohibition.

Companies or researchers that produce or sell cell-cultured meat, grocery stores and restaurants that might carry such products, and Georgia consumers who would no longer be able to legally buy lab-grown meat in the state.

If enacted, cell-cultured meat products could not be legally sold, traded, or distributed anywhere in Georgia, effectively blocking this emerging food technology from the state's market regardless of federal approval status for such products.

• Section 1 adds new Code Section 26-2-162 to Georgia's meat sale and advertising law (Article 4, Chapter 2, Title 26).
• Subsection (a) defines 'animal,' 'lab-grown meat' (cell cultured meat), and 'meat' for purposes of the new section.
• Subsection (b) states it is unlawful for any person to sell, offer for sale, trade, or distribute lab-grown meat.
• Section 2 repeals any conflicting Georgia laws.

1. 2025-02-04House Second Readers (House)
2. 2025-02-03House First Readers (House)
3. 2025-01-30House Hopper (House)

• Eric Bell (D, HD-075)Primary sponsor
• Leesa Hagan (R, HD-156)
• David Huddleston (R, HD-072)
• Patty Stinson (D, HD-150)
• Brent Cox (R, HD-028)
• Doreen Carter (D, HD-093)

• lab-grown meat
• food regulation
• agriculture
• cell-cultured meat
• food sales