KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

Back to Louisiana

SB57 • 2026

PUBLIC HEALTH: Provides relative to nutrition. (1/1/28)

PUBLIC HEALTH: Provides relative to nutrition. (1/1/28)

Education
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Patrick McMath
Last action
2026-05-26
Official status
Pending Senate concurrence - Sched. for 5/27/26
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details on the specific exemptions mentioned in the candidate explanation.

Nutrition Labeling Act

This act changes the effective date for food manufacturers to label products with QR codes and statements about artificial colors, additives, or chemicals from January 1, 2028, to December 31, 2028.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes when food companies must put QR codes on their products that tell if the product has certain artificial colors, additives, or chemicals.
  • Moves the start date for this rule from January 1, 2028, to December 31, 2028.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Food manufacturers who sell products with artificial colors, additives, or chemicals.
  • Consumers looking for information on product labels.

Terms To Know

QR code
A type of barcode that can be scanned to get more information about a product.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify the consequences for companies failing to comply with these rules.
  • It is unclear how this change will affect consumers' understanding of product labels.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment modifies and reenacts a section of Louisiana's public health laws related to food labeling, specifically concerning ingredients that must be named on food labels according to FDA requirements.

  • Adds language to specify when provisions about food containing artificial colors, additives, or banned chemicals apply: only if the U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires the ingredient to be listed on a food label.
  • Repeals certain sections of existing Louisiana law related to school nutrition programs.
  • The amendment text does not provide full context about what specific changes are being made beyond referencing other laws, which makes it hard to explain the exact details without additional information.
Adopted

Plain English: The amendment changes the dates when certain sections of the bill about nutrition will take effect.

  • Removes references to 'R.S.40:661(C)(2) as enacted by Section 3' and replaces them with 'Section 5(D)' in multiple places.
  • Deletes specific wording related to labeling requirements from the original bill text.
  • Adds new language that sets different effective dates for parts of the bill, making Part I-B and R.S. 40:661 active on December 31, 2028, and R.S. 40:662 active on January 1, 2028.
  • The amendment text does not provide full context for all changes, making it hard to understand the exact impact of some edits without additional information.
Draft

Plain English: The amendment changes the dates when certain sections of the bill about nutrition will take effect.

  • Removes references to 'R.S.40:661(C)(2) as enacted by Section 3' and replaces them with 'Section 5(D)' in multiple places.
  • Deletes specific phrases like 'labeling requirements; to provide for exemptions;' from the bill text.
  • Adds new language that sets different effective dates for parts of R.S. 40:661 and R.S. 40:662.
  • The amendment's technical nature makes it hard to fully explain without additional context about the bill's content.
  • Some changes may be difficult to understand without knowing what 'R.S.40:661(C)(2)' and other specific sections refer to.

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-26 S

    Received from the House with amendments.

  2. 2026-05-26 H

    Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 98, nays 0. Finally passed, ordered to the Senate.

  3. 2026-05-25 H

    Scheduled for floor debate on 05/26/2026.

  4. 2026-05-25 H

    Read by title, passed to 3rd reading.

  5. 2026-05-20 H

    Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments.

  6. 2026-05-19 H

    Reported favorably (10-0). Referred to the Legislative Bureau.

  7. 2026-05-12 H

    Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Health and Welfare.

  8. 2026-05-11 H

    Received in the House from the Senate, read by title, lies over under the rules.

  9. 2026-05-11 S

    Read by title, passed by a vote of 36 yeas and 0 nays, and sent to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

  10. 2026-05-07 S

    Read by title. Committee amendments read and adopted. Ordered engrossed and passed to third reading and final passage.

  11. 2026-05-06 S

    Reported with amendments.

  12. 2026-03-09 S

    Introduced in the Senate; read by title. Rules suspended. Read second time and referred to the Committee on Health and Welfare.

  13. 2026-02-18 S

    Prefiled and under the rules provisionally referred to the Committee on Health and Welfare.

Official Summary Text

PUBLIC HEALTH: Provides relative to nutrition. (1/1/28)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SLS 26RS-136 ENGROSSED
2026 Regular Session
SENATE BILL NO. 57
BY SENATOR MCMATH
PUBLIC HEALTH. Provides relative to nutrition. (1/1/28)
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact Section 5(D) of Act No. 463 of the 2025 Regular Session of the
3 Legislature of Louisiana, relative to nutrition; to provide for an effective date; and
4 to provide for related matters.
5 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
6 Section 1. Section 5(D) of Act No. 463 of the 2025 Regular Session of the
7 Legislature of Louisiana is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:
8 Section 5.
9 * * *
10 (D) The heading of Part I-B and R.S. 40:661 as enacted by Section 3 of this Act
11 shall become effective on December 31, 2028. R.S. 40:662 as enacted by Section 3 of this
12 Act shall become effective on January 1, 2028.
Page 1 of 2
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.
SB NO. 57
SLS 26RS-136 ENGROSSED
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Senate Legislative Services.
The keyword, summary, and digest do not constitute part of the law or proof
or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
DIGEST
SB 57 Engrossed 2026 Regular Session McMath
Present law requires food manufacturers to label products with a quick response (QR) code
and statement if the product contains specific artificial colors, additives, or chemicals.
Present law further provides for a notice statement on the manufacturer's website that directs
consumers to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration website. Failure to comply with new
law is a violation of the state Sanitary Code.
Present law creates an exception to labeling requirements for medical food, food prepared
and labeled in retail food establishments, and alcoholic beverages.
Proposed law changes the effective date of the labeling provisions in present law from Jan.
1, 2028 to Dec. 31, 2028.
(Amends §5(D) of Act No. 463 of the 2025 R.S.)
Summary of Amendments Adopted by Senate
Committee Amendments Proposed by Senate Committee on Health and Welfare to
the original bill
1. Changes the effective date of the labeling provisions from Jan. 1, 2028 to
Dec. 31, 2028.
Page 2 of 2
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.