HF 212 (LSB 1360HV (2) 91)

HOUSE FILE 212

BY  COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

(SUCCESSOR TO HSB 5)

A BILL FOR

An Act relating to meals, food, and beverages provided to students enrolled in school districts, charter schools, and innovation zone schools, and including applicability provisions.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  Section 256E.7, subsection 2, Code 2025, is amended by adding the following new paragraph:
   NEW PARAGRAPH.  0t.  Be subject to and comply with the requirements of section 283A.6 relating to the preparation of meals provided to students, and prohibited ingredients in meals provided to students, in the same manner as a school district, if the charter school provides a breakfast or lunch program.
    Sec. 2.  Section 256F.4, subsection 2, Code 2025, is amended by adding the following new paragraph:
   NEW PARAGRAPH.  r.  Be subject to and comply with the requirements of section 283A.6 relating to the preparation of meals provided to students, and prohibited ingredients in meals provided to students, in the same manner as a school district, if the charter school or innovation zone school provides a breakfast or lunch program.
    Sec. 3.  NEW SECTION.  283A.6  School district breakfast and lunch programs —— food and beverages provided to students —— prohibited ingredients.
   1.  As used in this section:
   a.  “Margarine” means any food product that is a substitute for butter and that is made with fats or oils that are not natural fats and oils, including products labeled as margarine, spread, or oleomargarine.
   b.  “Natural fats and oils” means butter, beef tallow, lard, coconut oil, avocado oil, and olive oil.
   2.  When necessary, a school district shall use natural fats and oils to prepare meals to be served to students as part of the school district’s breakfast or lunch program. A school district shall not use margarine to prepare a meal to be served to students as part of the school district’s breakfast or lunch program.
   3.  A school district shall not serve a meal to students as part of the school district’s breakfast or lunch program that contains any of the following ingredients:
   a.  Blue dye 1.
   b.  Blue dye 2.
   c.  Brominated vegetable oil.
   d.  Green dye 3.
   e.  Margarine.
   f.  Potassium bromate.
   g.  Propylparaben.
   h.  Red dye 3.
   i.  Red dye 40.
   j.  Yellow dye 5.
   k.  Yellow dye 6.
   4.  An employee of a school district shall not provide any food or beverages that contain an ingredient described in subsection 3 to a student enrolled in the school district during the school day.
   5.  A school district shall not permit the sale of any beverages that contain an ingredient described in subsection 3 during a school function or school-sponsored activity unless any of the following applies:
   a.  The sale does not take place on school district property.
   b.  The sale takes place at least thirty minutes after the end of the school day.
    Sec. 4.  APPLICABILITY.  This Act applies to school years beginning on or after July 1, 2027.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   This bill relates to meals, food, and beverages provided to students enrolled in school districts, charter schools, and innovation zone schools.
   The bill provides that, when necessary, school districts, charter schools, and innovation zone schools are required to use natural fats and oils to prepare meals to be served to students as part of the school’s breakfast or lunch program. The bill prohibits schools from using margarine to prepare a meal to be served to students as part of the school district’s breakfast or lunch program. The bill defines “margarine” as any food product that is a substitute for butter and that is made with fats or oils that are not natural fats and oils. The bill defines “natural fats and oils” as butter, beef tallow, lard, coconut oil, avocado oil, and olive oil.
   The bill prohibits school districts, charter schools, and innovation zone schools from serving meals to students as part of the school’s breakfast or lunch program that contain blue dye 1, blue dye 2, brominated vegetable oil, green dye 3, margarine, potassium bromate, propylparaben, red dye 3, red dye 40, yellow dye 5, or yellow dye 6. The bill also prohibits schools from permitting the sale of any beverages that contain such ingredients during a school function or school-sponsored activity unless the sale does not take place on school district property or unless the sale takes place at least 30 minutes after the end of the school day.
   The bill applies to school years beginning on or after July 1, 2027.