Bill
HB 1962
Requires schools to stop serving or selling ultra-processed foods produced after Jan 1, 2028, with a carve-out for parents and rules to be set by the Department of Education.
Status and procedural notes
- Introduced (Arkansas) January 22, 2025 by Representative Vaught; primary sponsors listed include B. Davis and Vaught, with cosponsors C. Penzo and C. Tucker.
- The legislative record in the provided materials shows multiple committee actions and a notation that the bill was withdrawn by the author on April 15, 2025 and later listed as “Prefiled (H)” (12/01/2025). The source document also contains unrelated text from an Illinois HB 1962; this summary focuses on the Arkansas bill text concerning ultra‑processed foods.
- Fiscal review by the Arkansas Department of Education states “No fiscal impact.”
Purpose and intent
- To limit student exposure to certain “ultra‑processed” foods at school by prohibiting schools from serving or selling such foods on campus during the normal school day, effective for products produced after January 1, 2028.
- Legislative findings (included in the bill) cite concerns about childhood obesity and the nutritional quality of industrially manufactured, nutrient‑depleted foods.
Key provisions
- New statute (proposed Arkansas Code section 6-18-724) establishes:
- Definitions:
- “School” = public school district, open‑enrollment public charter school, or private school.
- “Ultra-processed food” = any food or beverage that contains one or more of the following ingredients: potassium bromate; propylparaben; titanium dioxide; Yellow Dye 5; Yellow Dye 6; Blue Dye 1; Blue Dye 2; Green Dye 3; Red Dye 3; or Red Dye 40.
- Prohibition: A school may not serve or sell on the school campus during the normal school day any ultra‑processed food that is produced after January 1, 2028.
- Parent/guardian exception: The prohibition does not prevent a parent, guardian, or person standing in loco parentis from providing ultra‑processed food to their own child during the normal school day.
- Rulemaking: The Department of Education may promulgate rules to implement the section.
Who would be affected
- All Arkansas schools as defined (public districts, open‑enrollment charters, and private schools) in relation to school meals, on‑campus sales, vending, concession sales, and similar food sales occurring during the normal school day.
- Food suppliers and manufacturers whose products contain any listed additives/dyes — they would need to ensure products sold/served on campus and produced after Jan 1, 2028 comply (reformulate or be excluded).
- School food service directors, procurement staff, and potentially parents (because of the parental exception).
Implementation and impact considerations
- The production‑date cutoff (foods produced after Jan 1, 2028) provides a multiyear lead time for schools and suppliers to adjust contracts and menus.
- The bill delegates implementation details (including enforcement mechanisms) to the Department of Education through rulemaking; the text does not specify penalties or inspection/enforcement processes.
- The Department of Education’s fiscal statement reports no anticipated fiscal impact; however, schools may incur operational impacts from changing vendors, reformulating menus, or updating procurement specifications.
Limitations in source materials
- The provided document mixes Arkansas bill text with unrelated Illinois legislative text (an appropriation bill), and the legislative action list contains numerous entries; readers should confirm current status via the Arkansas Legislature’s official docket for the most recent action.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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