S 2977 — Requires children's meals and beverages served in certain settings to meet nutritional standards.*

S2977 1R [First Reprint] SENATE, No.

Senators Turner, DiegnanDiegnan, Burgess and BurgessGreenstein         SYNOPSIS      Requires children'schildren’s meals and beverages served in chaincertain restaurantssettings to meet certain nutritional standards.

  CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT      IntroducedAs Pendingreported Technicalby Reviewthe bySenate LegislativeHealth, Counsel.Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee on February 9, 2026, with amendments.

   An Act concerning nutritional standards for children’s meals 1and beverages1 served in chain1[chain restaurantsrestaurants] certain settings1 and supplementing Title 26 of the Revised Statues.

     e.     Therefore, it is in the public interest to establish nutritional standards for children’s meals sold at chain restaurants 1and beverages served at restaurants1 in order to reduce the number of overweight and obese children, and to promote healthy eating and active living among the citizens of the State.

     Chain“Chain restaurant” means a restaurant or similar retail food establishment that is part of a chain with 20 or more locations doing business under the same name, regardless of the type of ownership of the locations, and substantially offers the same menu items for sale.

     “Restaurant” means any facility or part thereof in which food is prepared and provided or served for consumption on the premises.         3.    a. a. An owner, operator, or the proprietor of a chain restaurant shall not sell, offer to sell, or serve a children’s meal unless two or more children’s meals, or 25 percent or more of the children’s meals on the children’s menu, whichever is greater, adhere to the following nutritional standards:

    An (1)owner, operator, or the mealproprietor of a chain restaurant shall containnot nosell, offer to sell, or serve a children’s meal unless two or more than:children’s meals, or 25 percent or more of the children’s meals on the children’s menu, whichever is greater, adhere to the following nutritional standards:

     (a)(1)   550the caloriesmeal pershall serving;contain no more than:

     (b)(a)   700550 milligramscalories ofper sodium;serving;

     (c)(b)   15700 gramsmilligrams of addedsodium; sugar;

     (d)(c)   1015 percentgrams of caloriesadded fromsugar; saturated fat;

and      (e)(d)   010 gramspercent of transcalories from saturated fat;

and      (2)(e)   the0 mealgrams shall contain at least 0.5 cups of freshtrans fruitsfat; or vegetables, and at least one of the following:

     (a)(2)   athe wholemeal grainshall productcontain whichat listsleast whole0.5 grainscups as its first ingredient, equals 50 percent whole grains by weight of product,fresh fruits or containsvegetables, 50and percentat wholeleast grainsone by weight of grains;the following:

     (b)(a)   a leanwhole proteingrain consistingproduct ofwhich atlists leastwhole twograins ouncesas ofits meat,first oneingredient, ounceequals of50 nuts,percent seeds,whole drygrains beansby orweight peas,of product, or onecontains egg;50 percent whole grains by weight of grains;

or      (c)(b)   a lean protein consisting of at least 0.5two cupsounces of non-fatmeat, or one percentounce milk,of lownuts, fatseeds, yogurt,dry beans or onepeas, ounceor ofone reducedegg; fat cheese.

or      (c)   at least 0.5 cups of non-fat or one percent milk, low fat yogurt, or one ounce of reduced fat cheese.

juices, juices, condiments, jellies, jams, or spreads shall not be considered a fruit or vegetable;

and      (3) if 1[if the children’s meal is served with a beverage, that beverage shall be:

and      (4)(4)]1 substitutions of any of the items contained in a children’s meal pursuant to this subsection shall be permissible upon request by a customer.

     b. b.    (1) A chain restaurant using a standard printed menu shall list next to a children’s meal on the menu, the nutritional content of the meal as required pursuant to subsection a.

     (2)(2)   A chain restaurant using a menu board system or similar signage shall list next to the children’s meal on the board or sign, the nutritional content of the meal as required pursuant to subsection a.

     (3)(3)   If the children’s meal includes a beverage, the chain restaurant using a standard printed menu shall also list next to the children’s meal on the menu, the caloric information for the beverage, using a font and format that is at least as prominent, in size and appearance, as that used to post either the name or price of the children’s meal.

     c. c.     A chain restaurant that posts the nutritional content of a children’s meal on its company website or mobile application shall be exempt from the requirements of subsection b.

       4.   14.  a. a. The Department of Health or the local board of health or the board, body, or officers exercising the functions of the local board of health according to law shall have the right to enter the premises of a chain restaurant at which a children’s meal is sold, offered for sale, or served, at any time during normal business hours and upon presentation of appropriate credentials, in order to determine compliance with the provisions of this act, or any rule or regulation adopted pursuant thereto.

    An b.   owner, Theoperator, Department of Health or theproprietor local board of healtha orchain therestaurant board, body, or officersrestaurant exercisingshall thenot functionssell ofa thechildren’s localmeal boardwith of health according to law, upon written complaint or having reason to suspect that a violationbeverage ofunless this act has occurred, shall, by written notification, advise the owner,default operator,beverage oris proprietorone of the chainfollowing: restaurant accordingly and order appropriate action to be taken.

       5. (1)   a. water, Ansparkling owner,water, operator, or theflavored proprietorwater ofwith a chain restaurant who knowingly sells, offers to sell, or serves a children’s meal in violation of the provisions of section 3 of this act shall be issued a warning for the first offense, liable to a civil penalty of up to $500 for the second offense, and up to $1,000 for a subsequent offense, provided that in no caseadded shallnatural the penalty against the owner or operatorartificial ofsweetener; the chain restaurant exceed $5,000 during a 30-day period.

     (2)   flavored or unflavored nonfat or low-fat, such as one percent, dairy milk or non-dairy beverage that is nutritionally equivalent to fluid milk, such as soy milk, in a serving size of eight ounces or less;

or      (3)   100 percent fruit or vegetable juice or fruit or vegetable juice combined with water or carbonated water, with no added natural or artificial sweetener, in a serving size of no more than 6.75 ounces;

and      b.    Substitutions of any of the items contained in a children’s meal pursuant to this section shall be permissible upon request by a customer.1        1[4.] 5.1  a.

The Department of Health or the local board of health or the board, body, or officers exercising the functions of the local board of health according to law shall have the right to enter the premises of a chain restaurant 1or restaurant1 at which a children’s meal is sold, offered for sale, or served, at any time during normal business hours and upon presentation of appropriate credentials, in order to determine compliance with the provisions of this act, or any rule or regulation adopted pursuant thereto.

     b.    The Department of Health or the local board of health or the board, body, or officers exercising the functions of the local board of health according to law, upon written complaint or having reason to suspect that a violation of this act has occurred, shall, by written notification, advise the owner, operator, or proprietor of the chain restaurant 1or restaurant1 accordingly and order appropriate action to be taken.

       1[5.] 6.1  a.

An owner, operator, or the proprietor of a chain restaurant 1or restaurant1 who knowingly sells, offers to sell, or serves a children’s meal 1or beverage1 in violation of the provisions of 1[section] sections1 3 1or 41 of this act shall be issued a warning for the first offense, liable to a civil penalty of up to $500 for the second offense, and up to $1,000 for a subsequent offense, provided that in no case shall the penalty against the owner or operator of the chain restaurant 1or restaurant1 exceed $5,000 during a 30-day period.

       6. 1[6.] a. 7.1  Withina. three months of the enactment of P.L.    , c.    (C.) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), the Department of Health, in consultation with the New Jersey Restaurant and Hospitality Association, shall prepare and make available for distribution to chain restaurants, both in print and in an easily printable format on the department’s Internet website, a fact sheet to notify and inform chain restaurant owners affected by the provisions of P.L.    , c.   (C.        ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) of the requirements of the law.

    Within b. three Themonths department,of the enactment of 1[P.L.    , c.    (C.        ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill)] this act1, the Department of Health, in consultation with the New Jersey Restaurant and Hospitality Association, shall provideprepare anand informationalmake poster,available containingfor thedistribution informationto foundchain restaurants 1and restaurants1, both in print and in an easily printable format on the department’s Internet website, a fact sheet preparedto innotify accordanceand withinform subsectionchain a.restaurant 1and restaurant1 owners affected by the provisions of 1[P.L.    , c.    (C.        ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill)] this act1 of the requirements of the law.

of     thisb.    section,The todepartment, chainin restaurantsconsultation forwith usethe New Jersey Restaurant and displayHospitality atAssociation, everyshall locationprovide inan theirinformational restaurantsposter, wherecontaining customersthe mayinformation placefound foodin orthe drinkfact orders.sheet prepared in accordance with subsection a.

 of     this 7. section, Theto Departmentchain ofrestaurants Health1and shallrestaurants1 adoptfor rulesuse and regulations,display pursuantat toevery thelocation provisionsin oftheir therestaurants "Administrativewhere Procedurecustomers Act,"may P.L.1968,place c.410food (C.52:14B-1or etdrink seq.),orders. to effectuate the purposes of this act.

       8. 1[7.] This8.1  actThe shallDepartment takeof effectHealth onshall theadopt firstrules dayand ofregulations, thepursuant sixthto month next following the dateprovisions of enactment, except that the Commissioner"Administrative ofProcedure HealthAct," mayP.L.1968, takec.410 any(C.52:14B-1 anticipatoryet administrativeseq.), actionto ineffectuate advance as shall be necessary for the implementationpurposes of this act.