OKLAHOMA CITY The Oklahoma House will consider a bill passed last week by the state Senate to create a task force to determine whether restaurant menus should list calories, fat grams and other nutritional information.
Senate Bill 1135, called the "Healthy Choices Act,” passed 37-8 in the Senate. It was amended to create a task force to study the issue.
“This proposal was changed into a task force to study the menu-labeling issue,” said Jim Hopper, president and chief executive of the Oklahoma Restaurant Association. “We support the task force and will, in fact, have a representative of our industry as one of the members.”
Sen. Randy Bass, D-Lawton, introduced the bill, which now calls for the creation of a 15-member task force to investigate whether putting nutritional information on menus would help diners make healthier selections. The task force is to report back to the Legislature.
The Task Force on Dining Information and Nutritional Education would be made up of two members from the Senate as well as advocates from health groups and a member of the ORA.
Oklahoma joins a growing list of states and municipalities that have passed or are considering menu-labeling mandates. Last week, afederal menu-labeling bill was reintroduced in Congress that has broad support from industry groups, such as the National Restaurant Association and the National Council of Chain Restaurants.
Contact Ron Ruggless at [email protected].
