The broad spending and tax legislation compromise unveiled by House Republicans Tuesday night lacks a provision that would allow for a national food labeling standard to head off state food labeling mandates for genetically modified organisms (GMOs) set to take effect in 2016.

“The failure of Congress to act will result in enormous costs to the agriculture and food industry who work tirelessly to feed a growing world population,” said the Coalition for Safe Affordable Food in a statement. “A patchwork of state labeling laws will prove costly and confusing for consumers.”

Nearly 500 agriculture and industry groups in all 50 states have been urgently calling for Congress to pass uniform, national food labeling legislation to prevent serious and costly disruptions to the food production and supply chain. And now the burdensome threat of the Vermont law looms large. While the U.S. House of Representatives worked in bipartisan fashion to pass the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act in July with the support of 45 Democrats, action stalled in the U.S. Senate. The Coalition calls on Members of Congress to work to find agreement and pass legislation to address this issue immediately when they return in January.