BILL REQ. #:  S-4493.2 

Read first time 01/23/08.   Referred to Committee on Health & Long-Term Care.

     AN ACT Relating to creating a task force on menu labeling; creating new sections; and providing an expiration date.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature finds that people in this country spend almost half of their food dollars eating away from home. Food consumed in restaurants is generally higher in calories and saturated fat than food prepared at home. It is further found that in Washington state the rate of chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease is increasing in adults and children.
     The legislature declares there is growing concern that people do not know the nutritional contents of the food they consume when they eat out at restaurants. In Washington state there are several different efforts to require restaurants to provide labels on menus that describe such things as calories, fats, sodium, and other nutritional information. However, little information exists as to the health effectiveness of these efforts and the impact on the restaurant industry.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   (1)(a) A legislative task force on menu labeling is established, with members as provided in this subsection.
     (i) The president of the senate shall appoint one member from each of the two largest caucuses of the senate.
     (ii) The speaker of the house of representatives shall appoint one member from each of the two largest caucuses of the house of representatives.
     (b) The task force shall choose its chair from among its membership at its first meeting.
     (2) The task force must study current efforts on menu labeling around the state, including but not limited to comparative approaches by county, systems for estimating actual nutritional information, health impacts of menu labeling, cost and impact to the restaurant industry, and alternatives to current approaches. The task force must also review what other states are doing on the issue.
     (3) Staff support for the task force must be provided by the senate committee services and the house of representatives office of program research.
     (4) Legislative members of the task force must be reimbursed for travel expenses in accordance with RCW 44.04.120.
     (5) The expenses of the task force must be paid jointly by the senate and the house of representatives. Task force expenditures are subject to approval by the senate facilities and operations committee and the house of representatives executive rules committee, or their successor committees.
     (6) The task force shall report its findings and recommendations to the appropriate committees of the legislature by December 1, 2008, with recommendations for providing nutritional information to consumers in restaurant settings.
     (7) This section expires June 30, 2009.