Bill Status of HB 389   95th General Assembly


Short Description:  MENU EDUC & LABELING ACT

House Sponsors
Rep. Mary E. Flowers

Last Action  View All Actions

DateChamber Action
  1/13/2009HouseSession Sine Die

Statutes Amended In Order of Appearance
New Act

Synopsis As Introduced
Creates the Menu Education and Labeling Act of 2007. Requires restaurants and similar retail food establishments to post a sign informing their customers that certain foods on their menus may be high in calories, grams of saturated fat plus trans fat, and milligrams of sodium per serving, which has been known to cause diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure.

House Amendment No. 1
Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Creates the Menu Education and Labeling Act. Provides that a restaurant or similar retail food establishment must provide certain nutritional information for all standard menu items listed on the menu as prepared and offered for sale. Provides that restaurants and similar retail food establishments that use a standard menu shall provide such information next to each item on the menu in a size and typeface similar to other information about each menu item. Provides that if the restaurant or similar retail food establishment uses only a menu board, it may limit the nutritional information listed on the menu board to the total number of calories per serving per item in a size and typeface similar to other information about the item, provided that the additional nutritional information be made available to customers in writing upon request. Provides that if a restaurant or similar retail food establishment provides a salad bar, buffet line, cafeteria service, or similar self-serve arrangement, it may limit the nutritional information provided for items offered in such arrangement to the total number of calories per standard serving per item next to where the item is offered in a size and typeface that is prominent and legible from where customers are choosing those items, provided that the additional nutritional information about the item must be made available to customers in writing upon request. Provides that a restaurant or similar retail food establishment is exempt from the requirements of the Act if it has fewer than 10 locations nationally, doing business under the same trade name, regardless of the type of ownership of the individual locations, and offering predominantly the same types of meals, foods, or menu. Contains other provisions concerning the display of nutritional information. Provides that the Department of Public Health shall issue proposed rules to implement the Act within 12 months after the effective date of the Act. Provides that the Director of Public Health or his or her duly authorized agents or employees who inspect restaurants and other food establishments must determine that the nutritional information required under the Act is listed on the menu or menu board and that any additional required information is available for customers upon request.

Actions 
DateChamber Action
  1/23/2007HouseFiled with the Clerk by Rep. Mary E. Flowers
  1/26/2007HouseFirst Reading
  1/26/2007HouseReferred to Rules Committee
  1/31/2007HouseAssigned to Health Care Availability and Access Committee
  3/20/2007HouseHouse Amendment No. 1 Filed with Clerk by Health Care Availability and Access Committee
  3/20/2007HouseHouse Amendment No. 1 Adopted in Health Care Availability and Access Committee; by Voice Vote
  3/20/2007HouseMotion Do Pass - Lost Health Care Availability and Access Committee; 004-008-001
  3/20/2007HouseRemains in Health Care Availability and Access Committee
  3/23/2007HouseRule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee
  1/13/2009HouseSession Sine Die

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