MONTPELIER — The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee says a bill calling for labeling of genetically modified food won’t pass this year.

The House Agriculture Committee strongly supported the measure, but then it went to Judiciary, where Chairman William Lippert says there isn’t time to act on it before lawmakers adjourn for the year.

Lippert says he generally supports the idea of labeling genetically modified food, but with lawmakers hoping to adjourn next week, it will have to wait until next year.

More than 300 supporters of labeling turned out for a public hearing on the issue this month. Some lawmakers said they were worried the state would face a lawsuit by the biotechnology industry if the bill became law.