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HB1853 • 2026

Food and Food Products

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 6, relative to school nutrition.

Education
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Reneau, Crowe
Last action
2026-04-02
Official status
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 619
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Ban on Certain Food Dyes in School Nutrition Programs

This act bans schools from selling or providing certain synthetic dyes in food and drinks to students through school nutrition programs.

What This Bill Does

  • Prohibits local education agencies (LEAs) and public charter schools from selling, offering for sale, or providing any food or beverage item containing specific petroleum-based synthetic dyes to students on school property through a school nutrition program.
  • Lists seven specific artificial food dyes that are banned: Allura Red AC, Erythrosine B, Tartrazine, Sunset Yellow FCF, Erioglaucine disodium salt, Indigo carmine, and Fast Green FCF.
  • Requires the ban to take effect on August 1, 2027, for contracts entered into by LEAs or public charter schools with third parties after that date.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Local education agencies (LEAs) in Tennessee
  • Public charter schools in Tennessee

Terms To Know

Local Education Agency (LEA)
An agency responsible for providing public education within a defined area, such as a school district.
Petroleum-based synthetic dyes
Artificial coloring agents made from petroleum that are used in food and beverages.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what will happen to contracts entered before August 1, 2027.
  • It is unclear how the ban will be enforced or what penalties might apply for violations.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB1853

Plain English: The amendment bans schools from selling certain artificial food dyes in their nutrition programs starting in 2027.

  • Schools will not be allowed to sell or provide foods and drinks that contain specific synthetic dyes, such as Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 1, etc., on school property through their nutrition programs after August 1, 2027.
  • The amendment does not specify what will happen to existing contracts with third parties that include these dyes before the ban starts.
  • It is unclear how schools and vendors will be monitored or enforced for compliance with this new rule.
Amendment 1-0 to SB2423

Plain English: This amendment bans schools from selling certain artificial food dyes in their nutrition programs starting in 2027.

  • Schools will not be allowed to sell or provide foods and drinks that contain specific synthetic dyes, such as Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 1, etc., on school property through their nutrition programs after August 1, 2027.
  • Existing contracts with third parties for food and drink items before August 1, 2027, are exempt from this ban.
  • The amendment does not specify what will happen to existing stock of foods containing these dyes that schools might have before the ban starts.
  • It is unclear how strictly schools and third-party vendors will be monitored or penalized for non-compliance with this new rule.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 619

  2. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 03/25/2026

  3. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 619

  4. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2026-03-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  6. 2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  7. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  8. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  9. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  10. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 71, Nays 5, PNV 15

  11. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0591)

  12. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  13. 2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/9/2026

  14. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/5/2026

  15. 2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee

  16. 2026-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.

  17. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/3/2026

  18. 2026-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  19. 2026-02-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  20. 2026-02-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 27, Nays 3, PNV 1

  21. 2026-02-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0497)

  22. 2026-02-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 2/23/2026

  23. 2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 8, Nays 0 PNV 1

  24. 2026-02-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Education Committee

  25. 2026-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  26. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Education Administration Subcommittee for 2/17/2026

  27. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 2/18/2026

  28. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Education Committee

  29. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Education Administration Subcommittee

  30. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Education Committee

  31. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor change.

  32. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) withdrawn.

  33. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  34. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  35. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  36. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON FEBRUARY 23, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 2423, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 r
ewrites this bill and adds to present law by prohibiting
LEA
s and
public charter school
s

from
sell
ing
, offer
ing
for sale, or provid
ing
to students on school property through a school nutrition program any food or beverage item that contains one or more of the following petroleum-based synthetic dyes:

Allura Red AC
;
Erythrosine B
; T
artrazine;

Sunset Yellow FCF; Erioglaucine disodium salt; Indigo carmine; or

Fast Green FCF
.

This bill maintains
August 1, 2027
, as the date when the ban on the listed dyes takes effect and adds that such ban applied to contracts entered on or after such date by
an LEA or public charter school
and
a third party for the provision of food or beverage items for a school nutrition program.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 2423
By Crowe

HOUSE BILL 1853
By Reneau
HB1853
011089
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49,
Chapter 6, relative to school nutrition.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-2308, is amended by deleting
"Allura Red AC, which is Chemical Abstracts Service registry number 25956-17-6 and also
known as Red 40," and substituting "any artificial food dye".
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.