An act CONCERNING ULTRA-PROCESSED FOODS IN SCHOOLS, the official text

Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.

1 State of Arkansas                           A Bill
2 95th General Assembly

3 Regular Session, 2025                                          HOUSE BILL 1962

4

5 By: Representative Vaught

6 By: Senators B. Davis, C. Penzo, C. Tucker

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8                              For An Act To Be Entitled

9             AN ACT CONCERNING ULTRA-PROCESSED FOODS IN SCHOOLS;

10            TO PROHIBIT A SCHOOL FROM SERVING OR SELLING ULTRA-

11            PROCESSED FOOD ON THE SCHOOL CAMPUS DURING THE NORMAL

12            SCHOOL DAY; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

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15                                            Subtitle

16                       TO PROHIBIT A SCHOOL FROM SERVING OR

17                       SELLING ULTRA-PROCESSED FOOD ON THE

18                       SCHOOL CAMPUS DURING THE NORMAL SCHOOL

19                       DAY.

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21 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:

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23  SECTION 1. Arkansas Code Title 6, Chapter 18, Subchapter 7, is amended

24 to add an additional section to read as follows:

25  6-18-724. Ultra-processed food -- Prohibition -- Definition.

26  (a) The General Assembly finds that:

27            (1) Childhood obesity, morbidity, and wellness are matters of

28 statewide concern;

29            (2) Ultra-processed, industrially manufactured, nutrient-

30 depleted food with synthetic additives is undernourishing to students at

31 schools and contributes to childhood obesity; and

32            (3) A meal or snack offered to students at schools in this state

33 should be nutritious and made primarily of nutrient-dense plant or animal

34 products.

35  (b) As used in this section:

36            (1) "School" means:

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                                                                       HB1962

1            (A) A public school district;

2            (B) An open-enrollment public charter school; or

3            (C) A private school; and

4            (2) "Ultra-processed food" means a food or beverage that

5 contains one (1) or more of the following ingredients:

6            (A) Potassium bromate;

7            (B) Propylparaben;

8            (C) Titanium dioxide;

9            (D) Yellow dye 5;

10           (E) Yellow dye 6;

11           (F) Blue dye 1;

12           (G) Blue dye 2;

13           (H) Green dye 3;

14           (I) Red dye 3; or

15           (J) Red dye 40.

16        (c) A school shall not serve or sell on the school campus during the

17 normal school day ultra-processed food that is produced after January 1,

18 2028.

19        (d) This section does not prevent a parent, legal guardian, or person

20 standing in loco parentis to a student from providing ultra-processed food to

21 his or her child during the normal school day.

22        (e) The Department of Education may promulgate rules to implement this

23 section.

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