Prohibits the manufacture, sale, and distribution of foods containing certain artificial food dyes within school systems in the State of Rhode Island commencing January 1, 2027.
H5115 creates the “School Food Dye Restriction Act” and adds a new chapter to Title 16 of the Rhode Island General Laws governing food served or sold on school campuses. Beginning January 1, 2027, it would prohibit food products distributed in schools from containing certain artificial dyes: FD&C Blue No. 1 and 2, FD&C Green No. 3, FD&C Red No. 40, and FD&C Yellow No. 5 and 6. The restriction applies broadly to school meals and competitive foods, including breakfast, lunch, a la carte sales, vending machines, school stores, fundraisers, and other food provided on campus or for students to consume off campus.
The bill would impose new compliance obligations on school food service vendors and school districts, while directing the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to develop compliance-monitoring procedures and provide implementation resources. Enforcement would be assigned to the Department of Health’s center for food service protection, which could assess civil fines of up to $1,000 per day for a first offense and up to $5,000 per day for subsequent offenses, and repeated violations could allow a school or district to cancel a vendor contract without liability. The measure also creates a restricted receipt account and Food Safety and Public Health Fund to receive fine revenue for food safety education and outreach, and requires annual reporting to the General Assembly beginning in 2028.
The bill’s stated purpose and structure reflect a generally protective, public-health-oriented approach, with the sponsors emphasizing concerns about artificial dyes, children’s behavior, and allergic reactions. Because there are no committee transcripts or recorded votes provided, there is no documented opposition or support in the supplied materials beyond the bill’s own findings. On its face, the proposal appears intended to improve school food safety and student well-being rather than to raise revenue or expand school choice.
The main points of potential contention are likely to be the scope of the ban, the science behind the claimed health effects, and the administrative and cost burden on schools and vendors. The bill reaches a wide range of school food settings and places enforcement and financial penalties on vendors, which could raise concerns from school food service companies, districts, and administrators about reformulating menus, sourcing compliant products, and managing contract risk. Supporters are likely to focus on child health and safer food ingredients, while critics may question whether the state should regulate these additives in school foods absent stronger evidence or federal alignment.