Rhode Island 2025 Regular Session

Rhode Island House Bill H6035 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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5	5	2025 -- H 6035
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7	7	LC002285
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9	9	S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
10	10	IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
11	11	JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025
12	12	____________
13	13
14	14	A N A C T
15	15	RELATING TO FOOD AND DRUGS -- HEALTHY KIDS ACT
16	16	Introduced By: Representatives Donovan, McGaw, Boylan, Carson, and Cotter
17	17	Date Introduced: March 07, 2025
18	18	Referred To: House Health & Human Services
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21	21	It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
22	22	SECTION 1. Legislative findings. 1
23	23	The general assembly hereby finds and declares the following: 2
24	24	(1) Thirty-five percent (35%) of Rhode Island children are overweight or obese. 3
25	25	(2) In 2022, childhood obesity rates are on the rise from pre-pandemic levels in 2019 (35% 4
26	26	vs 31%). 5
27	27	(3) Forty percent (40%) of children in Rhode Island’s core cities are overweight or obese 6
28	28	compared to thirty-five percent (35%) of children in the remainder of the state. 7
29	29	(4) Forty-one percent (41%) of latinx and forty-one percent (41%) of black children in 8
30	30	Rhode Island are overweight or obese compared to thirty-two percent (32%) of white children 9
31	31	(5) Food environments are associated with food choices and diet quality. 10
32	32	(6) Childhood obesity is associated with costly chronic conditions like diabetes and heart 11
33	33	disease. 12
34	34	SECTION 2. Title 21 of the General Laws entitled "FOOD AND DRUGS" is hereby 13
35	35	amended by adding thereto the following chapter: 14
36	36	CHAPTER 38 15
37	37	HEALTHY KIDS ACT 16
38	38	21-38-1. Short title. 17
39	39	This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Healthy Kids Act." 18
40	40	21-38-2. Definitions. 19
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44	44	As used in this chapter, unless the context clearly requires otherwise: 1
45	45	(1) "Children's meal" means a combination of food and a beverage, offered for sale together 2
46	46	at a single price, primarily intended for consumption by children. 3
47	47	(2) "Default beverage" means any beverage offered as part of a children's meal. 4
48	48	(3) "Restaurant" means any food service establishment that serves food to customers for 5
49	49	consumption on or off the premises, as defined in § 21-27-1, including, but not limited to, drive-6
50	50	through or walk-up counters, coffee shops, cafes, pizza parlors, and dine-in establishments. 7
51	51	"Restaurant" does not include school cafeterias. 8
52	52	21-38-3. Nutrition standards in children's meals. 9
53	53	(a) A restaurant shall not sell any children’s meal unless the restaurant offers at least two 10
54	54	(2) children's meals, or twenty-five percent (25%) of the children's meals on the children's menu, 11
55	55	whichever is greater, containing no more than: 12
56	56	(1) Five hundred fifty (550) calories; 13
57	57	(2) Seven hundred milligrams (700 mg) sodium; 14
58	58	(3) Fifteen grams (15 g) added sugars; 15
59	59	(4) Ten percent (10%) of calories from saturated fat; and 16
60	60	(5) Zero grams trans-fat. 17
61	61	(b)(1) A restaurant shall not sell a children's meal unless the restaurant offers at least two 18
62	62	(2) children's meals, or twenty-five percent (25%) of the children's meals on the children's menu, 19
63	63	whichever is greater, including servings in the specified amounts from at least two (2) of the 20
64	64	following five (5) food groups: 21
65	65	(i) Fruit: one-half (1/2) cup or more; 22
66	66	(ii) Vegetable: one-half (1/2) cup or more; 23
67	67	(iii) Nonfat or low-fat dairy: one-half (1/2) cup or more; 24
68	68	(iv) Meat or meat alternative equaling at least: 25
69	69	(A) One ounce (1 oz) meat, poultry, or seafood; 26
70	70	(B) One egg; 27
71	71	(C) One-fourth (1/4) cup pulses (beans, peas, lentils) or soy products; 28
72	72	(D) Two (2) tablespoons nut butter; or 29
73	73	(E) One ounce (1 oz) nuts and seeds; or 30
74	74	(v) Whole grains: provides at least eight (8) grams of whole grains and meets at least one 31
75	75	of the following criteria: 32
76	76	(A) Contains fifty percent (50%) whole grain ingredients; or 33
77	77	(B) Lists whole grains as the first ingredient. 34
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81	81	(2) At least one of the two (2) food groups shall be a fruit or non-fried vegetable. 1
82	82	21-38-4. Default beverages in children's meals. 2
83	83	(a) A restaurant shall not sell a children's meal with a beverage unless the default beverage 3
84	84	is one of the following: 4
85	85	(1) Water with no added natural or artificial sweeteners; 5
86	86	(2) Unflavored nonfat or low-fat milk with no added natural or artificial sweeteners; or 6
87	87	(3) Non-dairy milk alternative that is nutritionally similar to cow's milk with no added 7
88	88	natural or artificial sweeteners. 8
89	89	(b) When taking food and beverage orders for a children's meal, restaurant employees shall 9
90	90	offer one of the default beverages set forth in subsection (a) of this section. 10
91	91	(c) Nothing in this section prohibits a restaurant from selling, or a customer from 11
92	92	purchasing, a beverage other than the default beverage included with a children's meal, if the 12
93	93	customer requests the substitute or alternative beverage. 13
94	94	21-38-5. Menus and menu boards. 14
95	95	The children's meals and default beverages that meet the nutrition standards listed in §§ 15
96	96	21-38-3 and 21-38-4 shall be listed or displayed on a restaurant's menu and menu boards, including, 16
97	97	without limitation, online menus and menus used by delivery-based entities. 17
98	98	21-38-6. Enforcement. 18
99	99	(a) The department of health shall implement, administer, and enforce this chapter, and is 19
100	100	hereby authorized to issue rules and regulations consistent with this chapter and shall have all 20
101	101	necessary powers to carry out the purpose of this chapter. 21
102	102	(b) Within ninety (90) days of the passage date of this chapter, or any amendments thereto, 22
103	103	the department of health shall send a copy of this chapter or any such amendment, and other written 23
104	104	informational resources created in accordance with subsection (a) of this section, to all restaurants 24
105	105	subject to this chapter. 25
106	106	(c) The department of health shall create written informational resources and signage in 26
107	107	English and Spanish summarizing the requirements of this chapter to help support restaurants and 27
108	108	employees in implementation of this chapter. 28
109	109	21-38-7. Restaurants. 29
110	110	All restaurants shall provide a copy of this chapter and other written informational 30
111	111	resources created in accordance with § 21-38-6 to all employees upon commencement of 31
112	112	employment. Within thirty (30) days of receiving a copy of this chapter and other written 32
113	113	informational resources, and on a regular basis for all new employees, while this chapter is in effect, 33
114	114	all restaurants shall train employees on how to comply with the provisions of this chapter. All 34
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118	118	restaurants shall maintain records documenting the nutritional content of children’s meal food and 1
119	119	beverages and make such records available to the department of health on request. 2
120	120	SECTION 3. This act shall take effect on January 1, 2026. 3
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127	127	EXPLANATION
128	128	BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
129	129	OF
130	130	A N A C T
131	131	RELATING TO FOOD AND DRUGS -- HEALTHY KIDS ACT
132	132	***
133	133	This act would establish the Healthy Kids Act whereby restaurants would be required to 1
134	134	offer at least two (2) healthy versions of children’s meals, or twenty-five percent (25%) of the 2
135	135	children’s meals on its menu, whichever is greater. The restaurant would further be required to 3
136	136	offer either water, unflavored nonfat or low-fat milk, or non-dairy milk alternative with no added 4
137	137	natural or artificial sweeteners with each child’s meal. The department of health would be required 5
138	138	to implement rules and regulations to enforce this chapter. 6
139	139	This act would take effect on January 1, 2026. 7
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141	141	LC002285
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