State Restaurant Labeling Bills: 2003-2004 …

          State Restaurant Labeling Bills: 2003-2004


                                       California
                     Website: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/bilinfo.html


SB1171 Introduced February 3, 2004 by Senator Deborah Ortiz (D)

Status: Referred to Health and Human Services Committee where a hearing scheduled
for March 10 was postponed.

This bill would require fast- food and other chain restaurants that have 10 or more
locations in California to post nutrition information for all standard menu items on menus
and menu boards. For printed menus, the bill would require listing total number of
calories, grams of saturated plus trans fat, and milligrams of sodium per serving. For
menu boards it would require a minimum of calorie information.

SB679 Introduced February 21, 2003 by Senator Ortiz (D)

Status: Reported out of Senate Health and Human Services Committee on April 10, 2003.
Passed Senate on May 8, 2003. Failed to be reported out of Assembly Health Committee
on July 8, 2003.

This bill would require fast food and other chain restaurants that have 10 or more
locations nationally and in California to provide nutrition information upon request, and
also post a sign saying that such information is available.


                                 District of Columbia
                    Website: http://www.dccouncil.washington.dc.us/

B15-0387 Introduced July 8, 2003 by Councilmember Phil Mendelson (D)
Co-sponsored by Chairman Linda Cropp and Councilmembers Sandy Allen, Sharon Ambrose,
Kevin Chavous, and Jack Evans.

Status: Referred to Human Services Committee. Public hearing held by the DC
Council's Committee on Human Services November 13, 2003.

This bill would require fast- food and other chain restaurants that have 10 or more
locations nationally to list nutritio n information for all food and drink items sold,
including but not limited to the total number of calories, grams of saturated fat plus trans
fat, grams of carbohydrates, and milligrams of sodium per serving, as usually prepared
and offered for sale on the menu in a size and typeface similar to the other information
about each menu item. Chain restaurants which use menu boards may limit the nutrition
information to the total number of calories, provided that additional information shall be
available in writing to customers upon request.
                                       Maine
           Website: http://www.maine.gov/portal/government/legislature.html

LD391 Introduced January 2003 by Representative Sean Faircloth (D)
Co-sponsored by Senators Lynn Bromly, Christopher Hall and Kevin Shorey and
Representatives S. Peter Mills, Jacqueline Norton, Julie Ann O'Brien, Nancy Smith and
Nancy Sullivan.

Status: Bill referred to the Maine Commission to Study Public Health. The committee's
draft (September 24, 2004) recommends that the legislature "Require chain restaurants
with 20 or more nationwide locations to provide caloric information for food items on
menus or menu boards, as well as packaging."

Bill LD391 would require any restaurant with 20 or more locations under the same name
nationwide to display calorie information for all standard food and drink items sold on
menu boards, menus, and packaging (wrappers and boxes used to deliver food to
customers). Calorie information must be printed in the same size, arrangement, and
typeface as other menu information. Establishments that do not have menus must display
at least one menu board listing calorie information that can be read from 12 feet away.
The bill also instructs the Department of Human Services, Bureau of Health to adopt
rules regarding display of nutrition information in all restaurant s within the state.


                                    New Hampshire
                       Website: http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/ie/

HB 1267 Introduced May 2003 by Representative Jane Langley (R)
Co-sponsored by: Representatives Priscilla Lockwood, Stella Scamman, Harriet Cady,
Barbara French, and Senator Burton Cohen

Status: "Inexpedient to legislate" referral out of the House Commerce Committee.
Defeated by the House March 11, 2004.

This bill would require each restaurant that is part of a large chain of fast food restaurants
(establishments with 10 or more franchises in New Hampshire) to make nutritional
information for food items available to customers upon request. Nutritional information
must be provided in printed form (such as a flyer or pamphlet) that the customer may
keep, and shall include the same information that is required by federal law to appear in
Nutrition Facts labeling on packaged foods.
                                      New Jersey
                          Website: http://www.njleg.state.nj.us


A3064 Introduced June 21, 2004 by Assemblymen Douglas Fisher (D) and William
Payne (D).

Status: Referred to Assembly Health and Human Services Committee.

This bill would require retail food establishments with 20 or more locations in New
Jersey to list nutritional information for all standard food and beverage items sold. On
printed menus, this information shall include total number of calories, saturated fat plus
trans fat, carbohydrates, and sodium per serving. On menu boards, the total number of
calories per serving must be listed adjacent to each item, and information about saturated
fat and trans fat, carbohydrates, and sodium shall be made available to customers upon
request.


                                       New York
                           Website: http://assembly.state.ny.us

A5520 Introduced on March 7, 2003 by Assemblymember Felix Ortiz (D)
Co-sponsored by Assemblymembers Sandy Galef, Richard Gottfried, Vivian Cook, Barry
Grodenchik, Peter Rivera, Nettie Mayersohn, Steve Englebright, and Rhoda Jacobs

Status: Reported out of Assembly Health Committee on April 8, 2003. Referred to the
Codes Committee January 27, 2004.

This bill would require chain restaurants (food establishments with 10 or more locations
nationwide and 5 or more in New York) to provide calorie, saturate fat plus trans fat,
carbohydrate, and sodium information for typical food and beverage items sold on a
standard, printed menu. For establishments with only menu boards, calorie information is
required to be listed but other information should be made available to customers.

                         Website: http://www.senate.state.ny.us/

S4555 (Senate companion bill to A5520) Introduced April 13, 2003 by Senator Mary Lou
Rath (R)
Co-sponsored by Senators John Flanagan, Olga Mendez, Thomas Morahan, and Frank
Padavan

Status: Referred to Health Committee on January 7, 2004.

This bill would require chain restaurants (food establishments with 10 or more locations
nationwide and 5 or more locations in New York) to list the calories, saturated fat and
trans fat, and sodium, per serving, for food items as offered for sale on menus, menu
boards or similar signs. For establishments that use only menu boards or similar signs, the
information listed may be limited to the total number of calories per serving per item,
however, information about saturated fat and trans fat and sodium shall be made available
to customers upon request.
                                          Ohio
                            http://www.legislature.state.oh.us

HB 492 Introduced on May 11, 2004 by Representative Michael Skindell (D)
Co-sponsored by Representatives Barbara Sykes, Shirley Smith, Dale Miller, and Annie
Key

Status: Referred to the Health Committee.

This bill would require chain restaurants (any food service operation with 10 outlets
nationwide and 5 locations in Ohio operating under the same trade name) to post calories,
saturated fat plus trans fat, carbohydrates and sodium information per serving for
standard food and beverage items on menus and menu boards. Vending machines,
catering and mobile food service operations are excluded.

                                       Pennsylvania
                               http://www.legis.state.pa.us/

HB 1520 Introduced June 3, 2003 by Representative Louise Bishop (D)
Co-sponsored by Representatives Thomas Creighton, Ronald Waters, Mike Horsey,
Elinor Taylor, Babette Josephs, Rosita Youngblood, Daylin Leach, Rod Wilt, Thaddeus
Kirkland, and LeAnna Washington

Status: Referred to Committee on Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

For any restaurant with 20 or more locations under the same name nationwide, this bill
would require the display of calorie information for food and beverage items on menu
boards. On printed menus and packaging (wrappers and boxes used to deliver food to
customers) nutrition information must be provided for food and beverage items and must
be similar to the categories of nutrition information provided on packaged foods sold in
grocery stores. Establishments that do not ha ve menus must display menu boards on the
wall, and at least one menu board must be readable from 12 feet away from each
entrance.

                                      Puerto Rico
                              http://www.legislatura.gov.pr

P. del S. 2601 Introduced in Puerto Rico's Senate on February 12, 2004 by Senator Jose
Ortiz-Daliot

Status: Referred to the Committee on Banking and Consumer Affairs. Passed Senate and
sent to House of Representatives.

This bill would require any national chain or franchise restaurant with one or more outlets
operating in Puerto Rico or any local chain with 5 or more outlets to provide nutrition
information, including calories, saturated fat plus trans fat, carbohydrates and sodium for
food items listed on menus. For establishments that use only menu boards or similar
signs, the information listed may be limited to the total number of calories per serving per
item. However, information about saturated fat and trans fat, carbohydrates, and sodium
shall be provided to customers in writing upon request.
                                           Texas
                               Website: http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/

HB3153 Introduced April 9, 2003 by Representative Dennis Bonnen (R)

Status: Referred to Public Health Committee. The bill was amended and approved by the
committee.

The original bill, as introduced, would require chain restaurants (with 3 or more locations
in Texas) to list total calories, calories from fat, total fat, cholesterol, sodium,
carbohydrate, fiber, sugar, and protein content for each menu item on printed menus. This
information would be listed in a font size not less than one font size smaller than the
smallest font used to list food items on the menu. This bill would also require that any
food item that derives more than one-third of its total calories from fat is accompanied by
the words, "Eating Fatty Foods May Lead to Obesity."

In Committee mark-up, the bill was amended to the following:

The substituted bill would require chain restaurants (establishments with eight or more
locations in Texas) to prepare a pamphlet containing a statement of nutritional value for
each food item listed on the standard menu. The pamphlet would be required to list total
calories, calories from fat, total fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrate, fiber, sugar, and
protein content for each menu item. In addition, the bill would require that any food item
that derives more than one-third of its total calories from fat be accompanied by the
words, "Eating Fatty Foods May Lead to Obesity."

Chain restaurants would be required to have a number of pamphlets equal to one-third of
the number of seats available for customers at the restaurant. Before taking a customer's
order, a person employed by the restaurant shall inform each customer about the
pamphlet. A chain restaurant that does not seat customers must have at least one
pamphlet available to customers on request. A chain restaurant offering drive-through
service shall list on the drive-through menu board the calories for each food item or meal;
and print at the bottom of the menu board in a font size at least one font size larger than
the font size used to list the food items: "PAMPHLET OF NUTRITIONAL VALUE
AVAILABLE ON REQUEST."




                                                                     Last updated: 10/25/04