Food and Food Products - As enacted, prohibits labeling a cell-cultured food product as meat or a meat food product. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 39; Title 40; Title 43; Title 44; Title 47 and Title 53. Companion bill has, the official text

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                             PUBLIC CHAPTER NO. 450

                                                     SENATE BILL NO. 931

                              By Rose, Bowling, Crowe, Gardenhire, Pody, Reeves

                                           Substituted for: House Bill No. 804

  By Grills, Reneau, Reeves, Moody, Tim Hicks, Brock Martin, Zachary, Howell, Davis, McCalmon,
                                                       Capley, Crawford

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 39; Title 40; Title 43; Title 44; Title 47
         and Title 53, relative to food.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:

          SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 53-1-102, is amended by inserting the
following new subdivisions:

                   ( ) "Cell-cultured food product":

                             (A) Means a food product intended for use as human food that is produced
                   without slaughter by growing, in a controlled environment, cells harvested from
                   species amenable to the Federal Meat Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. § 601 et seq.), the
                    Federal Poultry Products Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. § 451 et seq.), or cells harvested
                   from shellfish species or big game, game birds, or fish, as those terms are defined in
                   § 70-1-101; and

                             (8) Includes food or a food additive produced in the manner described in
                   subdivision ( )(A) and used as an ingredient or component in a food;

          SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 53, Chapter 1, Part 1, is amended by adding
the following as new sections:

          53-1-119.

                    (a) A cell-cultured food product must not be labeled as meat or a meat food product,
          as those terms are defined in § 53-7-202.

                    (b) This section does not prohibit a label indicating the species from which the cells
          for the cell-cultured food product were harvested, that the product was produced from the
          applicable species or is intended as a substitute for meat or poultry, or another similar
          description.

                    (c) A cell-cultured food product that is labeled as meat or a meat food product is not
          in compliance with subsection (a) and is misbranded. If the department determines that a
          manufacturer violated subsection (a), then the department shall assess a fine of two
          thousand dollars ($2,000) for each product misbranded.

          53-1-120.

                  . (a) The department of agriculture shall promulgate rules to implement and administer
          a program requiring a manufacturer who sells cell-cultured food products in this state to have
          a permit for the sale of such products. Such rules must include, but not be limited to,
          provisions to establish:

                              (1) A fee in an amount sufficient to defray the cost of implementing and
                    administering the permitting program;
SB 931
                             (2) A process for the review and approval of permit applications; and
                             (3) Specific criteria for approval of the applications for such permits and a

                   timeline for making a determination on the application, with the timeline to· be no less
                   than ninety (90) days nor more than one hundred eighty (180) days from the date the
                   application is submitted.
                    (b) The criteria for approval of applications created under subsection (a) must not
          exceed the requirements set forth by the federal food and drug administration under the
          Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetics Act (21 U.S.C. § 301 et seq.) or the United States
          department of agriculture under the federal Meat Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. § 601 et seq.)
          and the federal Poultry Products Inspection Act (21 U.S.C. § 451 et seq.).
                    (c) In order to obtain and maintain an annual permit to defray the cost of
          implementing and administering the permitting program as prescribed under subdivision
          (a)(1 ), a manufacturer must pay to the department a fee of one thousand dollars ($1,000).
                    (d) The department shall utilize existing staff to assist in the implementation and
          administration of the program.
          SECTION 3. For the purpose of promulgating rules, this act takes effect upon becoming a
law, the public welfare requiring it. For all other purposes, this act takes effect July 1, 2025, the
public welfare requiring it.

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         SENATE BILL NO. 931

PASSED:  April 21, 2025

                                      RANDY l\,\:NALLY
                         SPEAKER OF THE lENATE

                         CAMERO~TON,SPEAKER
                         HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

APPROVED this ~ day of (V\C,L./\yt              2025

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                            BILL LEE, GOVERNOR