Bills › 90th General Assembly
Prohibiting the use of margarine and hydrogenated vegetable oil in school meals
Topics:K–12 educationHealth care
Where it is now
- Done: IntroducedFebruary 20, 2023
- Done: SubcommitteeFebruary 21, 2023
- Stopped: House committeeDied when the General Assembly ended
- Next: Passes the House
- Next: Senate committee
- Next: Passes the Senate
- Next: To the Governor
- Next: Signed into law
Died when the session ended The 2024 session adjourned on April 19, 2024, the General Assembly’s last regular session. Bills that didn’t pass both chambers died. What’s a funnel?
What’s in it
AI summary Schools would no longer be allowed to serve margarine or hydrogenated vegetable oil during breakfast or lunch. Instead, these programs must use butter or healthy alternatives like olive, avocado, or coconut oil to meet nutritional guidelines. This change ensures that students' dietary needs are still met while removing specific types of fats from school meals.1
Read the official explanation
This bill prohibits the serving of margarine and hydrogenated vegetable oil at schools. Currently, school breakfast and lunch programs may only serve foods that are deemed a nutritionally adequate meal by department of education (DE) guidelines. The bill prohibits DE guidelines from determining that any food containing margarine or hydrogenated vegetable oil is a nutritionally adequate meal. The bill requires the guidelines to instead provide for the use of butter, provided that coconut oil, avocado oil, or olive oil may be substituted for butter when necessary to accommodate a student’s dietary restrictions. The bill states findings by the general assembly relating to children’s consumption of margarine and hydrogenated vegetable oil.
House subcommittee
Named February 21, 2023. On February 23, 2023 it recommended passage. Vote Total: 2-0.
Three legislators hear a bill first and recommend what the committee should do; it’s the best time to weigh in. How to take part
1 written public comment to its subcommittee: February 23, 2023 (1) · on the Legislature’s site