SEN. KOLKHORST, OTHER LAWMAKERS FILE ‘MAKE TEXAS HEALTHY AGAIN’ LEGISLATION

  

A bill authored by State Senator Lois Kolkhorst (R-Brenham) is part of a package of bills lawmakers say will “Make Texas Healthy Again”.

Senate Bill 25 was one of three bills announced during a press conference on Tuesday, the others being SB 314 from Senator Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola) and SB 379 from Senator Mayes Middleton (R-Galveston). 

Kolkhorst said the bills are intended to reduce chronic disease and obesity in Texas and help educate citizens about their food and nutrition choices.

SB 25 would expand the amount of time students spend in physical education (P.E.) and not allow students to be restricted from participating in P.E. due to academic performance or behavior.  It would also require nutrition education for physicians and medical students, establish an advisory council to study connections between processed foods and chronic diseases, and mandate new label warnings if a product has ingredients which are banned by Canada, the European Union or the United Kingdom.

SB 314 would prohibit certain chemicals and dyes from being included in free and reduced school lunches.  SB 379 would prevent benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) from being used on items considered “junk food”, removing items like cookies, chips, candy and soda.

The Senate Health and Human Services Committee will hold public hearings today (Wednesday) for SB 25 and SB 314.