MONTPELIER – The Vermont Senate voted 26-2 vote earlier this week, approving a bill to require labeling of foods that contain genetically modified ingredients, the Burlington Free Press reports, speculating that Vermont could be the nation’s first state to enact such a law.

“We are saying people have a right to know what’s in their food,” said Senate President Pro Tempore John Campbell.

The bill would require food sold in Vermont stores that contain genetically modified ingredients to be labeled, starting July 2016.

The bill was up for another vote yesterday in the Senate before heading to the House, which passed a slightly different version last year. Governor Peter Shumlin has indicated he’s likely to sign the bill.

Connecticut and Maine have passed labeling laws, but both delayed implementation until neighboring states join them. Labeling measures in Washington and California have failed.

Genetically modifying plants or animals is typically done to increase disease resistance or extend shelf life. Opponents maintain that genetically modified foods may be harmful to humans, while proponents say there is no evidence support such a claim.

While introducing the bill on the Senate floor, Senator David Zuckerman said that questions remain about the safety of genetically modified foods because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration relies on testing done by the food producers rather than independent sources.