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EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*hb1048*
HOUSE BILL 1048
J1 6lr2352
CF SB 866
By: Delegates Shetty, Charkoudian, and Cullison Cullison, Alston, Bagnall,
Guzzone, Kaufman, Lopez, Martinez, Rosenberg, Ross, White Holland, and
Woorman
Introduced and read first time: February 9, 2026
Assigned to: Health
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 10, 2026
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Public Health – Chain Restaurants – Sodium and Added Sugars Warning Icons 2
and Disclosure and Notice 3
FOR the purpose of requiring the Maryland Department of Health to adopt certain 4
regulations relating to the sale of food items with a high added sugars c ontent or 5
high sodium content by a chain restaurant by a certain date and to administer a 6
certain continuing education campaign within a certain time direct chain 7
restaurants to its website for a certain purpose; requiring certain chain restaurants 8
to display certain icons next to food items with a high added sugars content or high 9
sodium content and a certain disclosure and notice on each menu or menu board; and 10
generally relating to chain restaurants and high sodium and added sugars menu 11
icons menu items with high sodium and added sugars. 12
BY renumbering 13
Article – Health – General 14
Section 21–330.3 and 21–330.4 15
to be Section 21–330.4 and 21–330.5, respectively 16
Annotated Code of Maryland 17
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 18
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 19
Article – Education 20
Section 13–517(a)(1) 21
2 HOUSE BILL 1048
Annotated Code of Maryland 1
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 2
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 3
Article – Education 4
Section 13–517(a)(4) 5
Annotated Code of Maryland 6
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 7
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 8
Article – Health – General 9
Section 21–301(a) and (h) 10
Annotated Code of Maryland 11
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 12
BY adding to 13
Article – Health – General 14
Section 21–330.3 15
Annotated Code of Maryland 16
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 17
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 18
Article – Health – General 19
Section 21–1214 20
Annotated Code of Maryland 21
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 22
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 23
That Section(s) 21–330.3 and 21–330.4 of Article – Health – General of the Annotated Code 24
of Maryland be renumbered to be Section(s) 21–330.4 and 21–330.5, respectively. 25
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the Laws of Maryland read 26
as follows: 27
Article – Education 28
13–517. 29
(a) (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated. 30
(4) (i) “Facility” means an agency, an association, a corporation, a firm, 31
a partnership, or any other entity. 32
(ii) “Facility” does not include a grocery store or restaurant that is 33
subject to [§ 21–330.3] § 21–330.4 of the Health – General Article. 34
Article – Health – General 35
HOUSE BILL 1048 3
21–301. 1
(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. 2
(h) (1) “Food service facility” means: 3
(i) A place where food or drink is prepared for sale or service on the 4
premises or elsewhere; or 5
(ii) Any operation where food is served to or provided for the public, 6
with or without charge. 7
(2) “Food service facility” includes a micro market licensed under Title 17, 8
Subtitle 17 of the Business Regulation Article. 9
(3) “Food service facility” does not include: 10
(i) A kitchen in a private home where food is prepared at no charge 11
for guests in the home, for guests at a social gathering, or for service to unemployed, 12
homeless, or other disadvantaged populations; 13
(ii) A food preparation or serving area where food is prepared or 14
served only by an excluded organization; 15
(iii) A location in a farmer’s market or at a public festival or event 16
where raw agricultural products, as defined in § 21 –304(d)(1)(iii) of this subtitle, are sold; 17
or 18
(iv) A cottage food business. 19
21–330.3. 20
(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE F OLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 21
INDICATED. 22
(2) “CHAIN RESTAURANT” MEANS A FOOD SERVICE FACILITY THAT IS: 23
(I) IS PART OF A CHAIN WITH 20 OR MORE LOCATIONS DO ING 24
BUSINESS UNDER THE SAME NAME, REGARDLESS OF OWNERSHIP STRUCTURE, AND 25
OFFERING FOR SALE SUBSTANTIALLY SIMILAR MENU ITEMS; AND 26
(II) IS SUBJECT TO FEDERAL LABELING REQUIREMENTS UNDER 27
21 U.S.C. § 343(Q)(5)(H). 28
4 HOUSE BILL 1048
(3) “HIGH ADDED SUGARS CONTENT” MEANS 25 MILLIGRAMS GRAMS 1
OR MORE OF ADDED SUGARS PER SERVING. 2
(4) “HIGH SODIUM CONTENT” MEANS 1,150 MILLIGRAMS OR MORE OF 3
SODIUM PER SERVING. 4
(5) “MENU” OR “MENU BOARD ” MEANS THE PRIMARY WR ITING 5
SOURCE FROM WHICH A CUSTOMER MAKES AN ORDER SELECTION. 6
(6) “POINT OF SELECTION” MEANS A PLACE WHERE A CUSTOMER MAY 7
VIEW THE MENU AND MAKE A SELECTION TO PURCHASE A MENU ITEM. 8
(7) (I) “STANDARD MENU ITEM ” MEANS A FOOD OR BEVE RAGE 9
ITEM THAT IS LISTED ON A MENU OR MENU BOARD. 10
(II) “STANDARD MENU ITEM ” DOES NOT INCLUDE A F OOD OR 11
BEVERAGE ITEM THAT A PPEARS ON A MENU OR MENU BOARD FOR LESS THAN 60 12
CALENDAR DAYS PER YEAR. 13
(B) ON OR BEFORE JANUARY 1, 2027, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ADOP T 14
REGULATIONS TO: 15
(1) ESTABLISH A HIGH SODIUM CONTEN T WARNING ICON AND 16
ACCOMPANYING TEXT; 17
(2) ESTABLISH A HIGH ADDED SUGARS CONTENT WARNING ICON AND 18
ACCOMPANYING TEXT; 19
(3) ESTABLISH A MINIMUM SIZE FOR EACH WARNING ICON THAT IS AT 20
LEAST AS LARGE AS TH E LARGEST TEXT CHARA CTER USED IN THE NAME OF THE 21
MENU ITEM THAT THE I CON WILL BE DISPLAYE D NEXT TO ON THE MEN U OR MENU 22
BOARD; AND 23
(4) IMPLEMENT THIS SECTION. 24
(C) CONCURRENT WITH THE A DOPTION OF REGULATIO NS UNDER 25
SUBSECTION (B) OF THIS SECTION , THE DEPARTMENT SHALL PUBL ISH GUIDANCE 26
ON ITS WEBSITE THAT DETAILS THE PURPOSE OF AND HOW A CHAIN R ESTAURANT 27
MAY COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS SECTION. 28
(D) DURING CALENDAR YEAR 2027, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ADMINISTER 29
A CONTINUING EDUCATI ON CAMPAIGN THAT EXP LAINS DIRECT CHAIN 30
RESTAURANTS TO ITS WEBSITE FOR THE PURPOSE OF EXPLAINING THE PURPOSE OF 31
HOUSE BILL 1048 5
AND HOW A CHAIN REST AURANT MAY COMPLY WI TH THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS 1
SECTION. 2
(E) BEGINNING JANUARY 1, 2028 2027, EACH CHAIN RESTAURANT IN THE 3
STATE SHALL DISPLAY ON EACH MENU OR MENU BOARD: 4
(1) NEXT TO EACH STANDARD MENU ITEM WITH A HIG H SODIUM 5
CONTENT, THE HIGH SODIUM CONT ENT WARNING ICON AND ACCOMPANYING TEXT 6
ESTABLISHED IN REGUL ATIONS ADOPTED UNDER SUBSECTION (B) OF THIS 7
SECTION; AND 8
(2) NEXT TO EACH STANDARD MENU ITEM WITH A HIG H ADDED 9
SUGARS CONTENT , THE HIGH ADDED SUGAR S CONTENT WARNING IC ON AND 10
ACCOMPANYING TEXT ES TABLISHED IN REGULAT IONS ADOPTED UNDER 11
SUBSECTION (B) OF THIS SECTION; AND 12
(3) A WRITTEN DISCLOSURE AND NOTICE TO CUSTOMERS THAT: 13
(I) STANDARD MENU ITEMS M AY CONTAIN HIGH SODIUM OR 14
HIGH SUGAR; AND 15
(II) FULL NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE THROUGH 16
A QUICK RESPONSE (QR) CODE, ONLINE, OR BY REQUEST. 17
(F) A CHAIN RESTAURANT MAY COMPLY WITH SUBSECTION (E)(3) OF THIS 18
SECTION BY MAKING TH E FULL NUTRITIONAL I NFORMATION OF THE FOOD OR 19
BEVERAGE ITEM AVAILABLE: 20
(1) THROUGH USE OF A QUICK RESPONSE (QR) CODE THAT LINKS TO 21
THE CHAIN RESTAURANT’S ONLINE NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION; AND 22
(2) ON REQUEST OF A CUSTOMER, IN ANY PRINTED FORMAT. 23
(F) (G) (1) IF THE CHAIN RESTAURANT IS REQUIR ED TO DISPLAY A 24
WARNING ICON AND ACC OMPANYING TEXT UNDER SUBSECTION (E)(1) OF THIS 25
SECTION, THE FOLLOWING TEXT S HALL BE PROMINENTLY , CLEARLY, AND 26
CONSPICUOUSLY DISPLAYED AT THE POINT OF SELECTION: 27
“THE HIGH SODIUM CONTENT WARNING ICON INDICATES A MENU ITEM WITH 28
A SODIUM (SALT) CONTENT THAT EXCEEDS HALF THE TOTAL DAILY RECOMMENDED 29
LIMIT. DIETS HIGHER IN SODIU M ARE ASSOCIATED WIT H AN INCREASED RISK OF 30
DEVELOPING HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, WHICH IS A MAJOR CAUSE OF HEART DISEASE 31
AND STROKE.”. 32
6 HOUSE BILL 1048
(2) IF THE CHAIN RESTAURANT IS REQUIRED TO DISPLAY A WARNING 1
ICON AND ACCOMPANYING TEXT UNDER SUBSECTION (E)(2) OF THIS SECTION, THE 2
FOLLOWING TEXT SHALL BE PROMINENTLY , CLEARLY, AND CONSPICUOUSLY 3
DISPLAYED AT THE POINT OF SELECTION: 4
“THE HIGH ADDED SUGARS CONTENT WARNING ICON INDICATES A MENU ITEM 5
WITH A SUGAR CONTENT THAT EXCEEDS HALF TH E TOTAL DAILY RECOMM ENDED 6
LIMIT. DIETS WITH HIGHER AMOUNTS OF ADDED SUGARS OVER TIME MAY INCREASE 7
THE RISK OF TYPE 2 DIABETES, WEIGHT GAIN, AND TOOTH DECAY.”. 8
(G) ON OR BEFORE JULY 1, 2032, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL SUBM IT A 9
REPORT TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 2–1257 OF THE 10
STATE GOVERNMENT ARTICLE, THAT: 11
(1) REVIEWS ANY EVIDENCE OF THE IMPACT OF THE REQUIREMENTS 12
ESTABLISHED UNDER THIS SECTION, INCLUDING: 13
(I) WHETHER AND TO WHAT E XTENT ANY STANDARD M ENU 14
ITEMS WERE REFORMULATED; AND 15
(II) WHETHER AND HOW CONSUMER BEHAVIOR CHANGED; AND 16
(2) RECOMMENDS ANY ADDITI ONAL NUTRITION –RELATED MENU 17
WARNING ICONS THAT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED. 18
21–1214. 19
(a) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) PARAGRAPHS (2) AND (3) of this 20
subsection, any person who violates any provision of Subtitle 3 of this title or any rule or 21
regulation adopted under Subtitle 3 of this title is guilty of a misdemeanor and on 22
conviction is subject to: 23
(i) For a first offense, a fine not exce eding $1,000 or imprisonment 24
not exceeding 90 days, or both; and 25
(ii) For a second offense, a fine not exceeding $2,500 or imprisonment 26
not exceeding 1 year, or both. 27
(2) A person who violates § 21 –330.1 OR § 21–330.3 of this title is not 28
subject to paragraph (1) of this subsection. 29
(3) A PERSON WHO VIOLATES § 21–330.3 OF THIS TITLE IS GUILTY OF 30
A MISDEMEANOR AND ON CONVICTION IS SUBJECT TO: 31
(I) FOR A FIRST OFFENSE, A FINE NOT EXCEEDING $500; AND 32
HOUSE BILL 1048 7
(II) FOR A SUBSEQUENT OFFE NSE, A FINE NOT EXCEEDING 1
$1,000. 2
(b) In addition to any criminal penalties imposed under this section, a person who 3
violates any provision of Subtitle 3 of this title or any rule or regulation adopted under 4
Subtitle 3 of this title or any term, condition, or limitation of any license or registration 5
issued under Subtitle 3 of this title: 6
(1) Is liable for a civil penalty not exceeding $5,000, to be collected in a civil 7
action in the District Court for any county; and 8
(2) May be enjoined from continuing the violation. 9
(c) Each day on which a violation occurs is a separate violation under this section. 10
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 11
1, 2026. 12
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.