What's happening
This bill restricts school vending machines in New York to healthier food and beverage options with strict nutritional standards.
Why it matters
Limits availability of high-calorie, high-sugar, and high-sodium snacks in schools. , meaning students will have less access to processed and unhealthy foods during the school day, potentially impacting dietary habits and long-term health outcomes.
Establishes detailed nutritional standards (calories, fat, sugar, sodium) for all vending machine items. , which could require schools and vending suppliers to overhaul current product offerings, affecting school contracts and vendor relationships.
Creates different rules for after-school vending in high schools. , recognizing older students’ greater autonomy but still restricting calorie, sugar, and fat content—showing an attempt to balance health concerns with student choice.
Mandates that all current and future vending contracts must comply with these nutritional rules. , which could have financial implications for school districts depending on the profitability of new, healthier vending options versus traditional snack food sales.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Healthy Vending in Schools
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
4 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to education
- Referred to education
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2263
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 22, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. PICHARDO -- read once and referred to the Committee on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to the sale of certain foods in vending machines on school grounds or property
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 915-a to read as follows:
§ 915-a. Vending machines. 1. School vending machines shall be stocked only with food and beverages described in this subdivision.
(a) For all students, only the following food and beverages may be provided in vending machines:
(1) fruits, vegetables, whole grains and related combination products and non-fat and low-fat dairy that are limited to two hundred calories or fewer per portion as packaged and contain:
(i) no more than thirty-five percent of total calories from fat;
(ii) less than ten percent of total calories from saturated fats;
(iii) zero trans fat (less than or equal to 0.5 grams per serving);
(iv) thirty-five percent or less of calories from total sugars, except for yogurt with no more than thirty grams of total sugars per eight ounce portion as packaged; and
(v) a sodium content of two hundred milligrams or less per portion as packaged;
(2) water without flavoring, additives or carbonation;
(3) one percent and non-fat milk in eight ounce portions;
(4) flavored milk with no more than twenty-two grams of total sugars per eight ounce portion;
(5) one hundred percent fruit juice in four ounce portions for elementary and middle schools and eight ounce portions for high schools; and
(6) caffeine-free beverages, with the exception of trace amounts of naturally occurring caffeine substances;
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06448-01-9
A. 2263 2
(b) For high school students after school, only the following food and beverages may be provided in vending machines:
(1) foods that do not exceed two hundred calories per portion as packaged and contain:
(i) no more than thirty-five percent of total calories from fat;
(ii) less than ten percent of total calories from saturated fats;
(iii) zero trans fat (less than or equal to 0.5 grams per portion);
(iv) thirty-five percent or less of calories from total sugars; and
(v) a sodium content of two hundred milligrams or less per portion as packaged; and
(2) non-caffeinated, non-fortified beverages with fewer than five calories per portion as packaged (with or without non-nutritive sweeteners, carbonation or flavoring).
2. The terms of any contract entered into between a school district and a business or corporation for the operation of a vending machine for the sale of foods and beverages to students shall comply with the provisions of this section. If a school district is party to a contract which provides for, or requires periodic renewal, the terms of such renewal shall comply with the provisions of this section.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law and shall apply to contracts entered into or renewed on or after such date.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.