Committee recommends five‑year moratorium on cell‑cultured protein products

The House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee voted to recommend Senate Bill 124 to the House floor, endorsing a five‑year pause on the manufacture, sale and distribution of products containing cell‑cultured protein while regulators and courts in other states sort out scientific and legal questions.

Representative John Sharda, sponsor of SB 124, told the committee the moratorium is designed to "push the pause button" so South Dakota is not used as a test case while litigation and regulatory review unfold elsewhere. He said the bill’s effective window runs from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2031.

"We rightly demand rigorous, transparent evidence for the food we put on our family's tables," Sharda said, urging the committee to give the bill a do‑pass recommendation.

John Katilnik, deputy general counsel to the governor, said the governor’s office supports the five‑year moratorium in its current form and asked the committee to resist amendments that could increase litigation risk. "A temporary 5 year moratorium allows time for additional study, data collection, and coordination within the existing federal framework," Katilnik said.

Supporters from agricultural groups and unions — including the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association, South Dakota Stock Growers and South Dakota Farmers Union — described the measure as a negotiated compromise that balances free‑market concerns with consumer protections and reduced litigation exposure.

Will Coggin, research director for the Center for the Environment and Welfare, cited a recent study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry that he said found differences in allergic responses to cultivated meat and argued for more study on allergy‑related proteins.

Committee members pressed proponents on past positions, federal regulatory coordination (FDA and USDA roles), labeling and whether the shorter moratorium reduces litigation risk. Supporters said the compromise reduces exposure to court challenges and buys time to improve definitions and labeling standards.

Senator Schubert moved and Representative Van Dijken seconded a motion to give SB 124 a do‑pass recommendation. The secretary recorded the roll call; the chair announced the motion passed with nine yays, one nay and three excused, and the bill will go to the House floor with a do‑pass recommendation.