Washington State

House of Representatives

Office of Program Research

BILL

ANALYSIS

Local Government Committee

SSB 6455

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

Brief Description: Requiring default beverages for children's meals.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Health & Long Term Care (originally sponsored by Senators Liias, King, Billig, Nguyen, Cleveland, Hunt, Saldaña, Van De Wege and Wilson, C.).

Brief Summary of Substitute Bill

  • Requires that restaurants that sell children's meals offer water, unflavored milk, or a milk alternative as the default beverage option with the meal.

Hearing Date: 2/25/20

Staff: Kellen Wright (786-7134).

Background:

The State Board of Health (Board) is a forum for the development of public health policy in Washington. The Board is required to adopt rules regulating public health related to, among other things, environmental conditions, including standards for food service establishments. State employees, including all local health boards and officials, are required to enforce the rules adopted by the Department of Health.

Local government boards of health enforce both the regulations adopted by the Board, as well as rules adopted locally.

Summary of Bill:

A children's meal is defined as a meal served by a restaurant in which a combination of food and a beverage are sold together at a single price, and intended for consumption by a child. In such meals, the default beverage offered on the menu must only include water (including sparkling water or flavored water with no added sweeteners), unflavored milk, or a nondairy milk alternative that contains 130 or fewer calories per serving. Beverages listed or displayed on a restaurant's menu or in advertisements must be one of the default beverages. Restaurants may serve an alternative beverage instead of a default beverage with a children's meal at the specific request of the person purchasing the meal.

The State Board of Health (Board) may adopt rules necessary to implement the default beverage requirement. Local health departments must implement and enforce the default beverage requirement, as well as any rules adopted by the Board. Violations of the default beverage requirements are subject to penalties: a first or second violation is subject to a written warning; a third or subsequent violation within two years is subject to a monetary penalty of up to $200 per violation. No more than $400 in penalties may be imposed on a restaurant each year.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.