HB 4787
Shofner’s Food Dye Ban Waits Until September 2027
Died in committee
Verdict: Smells
Why it's charged
Delayed start
The Act does not take effect until September 1, 2027, and the school rule waits for the 2027-2028 school year, so nothing operative happens until the session after this one and well past the next general election. Section 4 also lets the agency delay the SNAP rule further until a federal waiver is granted.
Delayed startInitial review · graded Oct 21, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade
Caption
relating to prohibiting certain additives from being included in food and drinks provided by school districts or purchased under the supplemental nutrition assistance program.
Caption from analyzed text · version I.
Summary
Red 40 leaves school meals in 2027-2028. The SNAP rule can wait on a federal waiver.
The bill bars school districts and open-enrollment charter schools that serve meals from providing any food or drink containing the listed artificial dyes, including red 40, yellow 5 and blue 1. It also bars SNAP recipients from using their benefits to buy food or drinks containing the same dyes, except where federal law expressly requires otherwise. Nothing changes until September 1, 2027, the school rule waits for the 2027-2028 school year, and a state agency may hold off the SNAP rule until a federal waiver is granted.
Labels
Labels: NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Mar 13, 2025 and referred to the House Public Health committee. No public hearing. The bill died.
Receipt
The receipt
89R-HB4787 · 2025-03-13
SOLD BY
+ 3 coauthors
ITEM
relating to prohibiting certain additives from being included in food and drinks provided by school districts or purchased under the supplemental nutrition assistance program.
WHAT IT DOES
Red 40 leaves school meals in 2027-2028. The SNAP rule can wait on a federal waiver.
The bill bars school districts and open-enrollment charter schools that serve meals from providing any food or drink containing the listed artificial dyes, including red 40, yellow 5 and blue 1. It also bars SNAP recipients from using their benefits to buy food or drinks containing the same dyes, except where federal law expressly requires otherwise. Nothing changes until September 1, 2027, the school rule waits for the 2027-2028 school year, and a state agency may hold off the SNAP rule until a federal waiver is granted.
CHARGES
[x] DELAYED STARTanalysis confidence 75%
The Act does not take effect until September 1, 2027, and the school rule waits for the 2027-2028 school year, so nothing operative happens until the session after this one and well past the next general election. Section 4 also lets the agency delay the SNAP rule further until a federal waiver is granted.
TOTAL
No fiscal note in the loaded record.
HISTORY
- Filed
- Read first time
- Referred to Public Health
FILED UNDER
No verified beat found.
THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT
CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY
CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY
Donors
Not tied to this bill.
Sources
The author's campaign account only. Own money and internal transfers are separate on the member page.
Derived itemized flow · Jul 3, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.
Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$20,000.00
Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC
$20,000.00
- Cash
- $20,000.00
- Paid by others
- $0.00
- Total
- $20,000.00
Also funds 124 other sitting lawmakers.
Derived recipient stock · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
TEC account match.
TeamSources
Derived itemized flow · Jun 23, 2025 to Oct 8, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.
Report IDs: 101007132, 101027774, 101071421.
Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.
Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC
$20,000.00
- Cash
- $20,000.00
- Paid by others
- $0.00
- Total
- $20,000.00
Also funds 124 other sitting lawmakers.
Derived recipient stock · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
TEC account match.
TeamSources
Derived itemized flow · Jun 23, 2025 to Oct 8, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.
Report IDs: 101007132, 101027774, 101071421.
Votes
No floor vote loaded for this bill.
Fiscal
No fiscal note in the loaded record.
How this was graded
Adversarial review by claude-fable-5-1 at high effort: Smells.
Analysis of text version I by claude-fable-5-1, Oct 21, 2026, against the published rubric.
Sources
Texas House · Filed Mar 13, 2025
04/03/2025 H Referred to Public Health: Apr 3 2025 12:38PM
Texas Legislature Online · Introduced
Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:19 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.
House committee · Public Health · Final status: Died in committee
Subjects
Consumer Protection
Education--Primary & Secondary--Charter Schools
Education--School Districts
Health--Other Diseases & Medical Conditions
Human Services--Food Programs
Safety
FOOD
Text
The text as introduced · 346 words
89R16994 AB-D By: Shofner H.B. No. 4787 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT relating to prohibiting certain additives from being included in food and drinks provided by school districts or purchased under the supplemental nutrition assistance program. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 33, Education Code, is amended by adding Section 33.9011 to read as follows: Sec. 33.9011. PROHIBITION ON CERTAIN ADDITIVES IN FOOD AND DRINKS PROVIDED BY SCHOOLS. A school district or open-enrollment charter school that provides meals to students may not provide any food or drink that contains the following substances: (1) red 3 (CAS 16423-68-0); (2) red 40 (CAS 25956-17-6); (3) yellow 5 (CAS 1934-21-0); (4) yellow 6 (CAS 2783-94-0); (5) blue 1 (CAS 3844-45-9); (6) blue 2 (CAS 860-22-0); (7) green 3 (CAS 2353-45-9); (8) citrus red dye 2 (CAS 6358-53-8); or (9) orange B dye (CAS 15139-76-1). SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 33, Human Resources Code, is amended by adding Section 33.031 to read as follows: Sec. 33.031. PURCHASE OF FOOD AND DRINK ITEMS CONTAINING CERTAIN FOOD ADDITIVES PROHIBITED UNDER SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. Except as expressly required by federal law, a recipient of supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits may not use those benefits to purchase any food or drink item that contains the following substances: (1) red 3 (CAS 16423-68-0); (2) red 40 (CAS 25956-17-6); (3) yellow 5 (CAS 1934-21-0); (4) yellow 6 (CAS 2783-94-0); (5) blue 1 (CAS 3844-45-9); (6) blue 2 (CAS 860-22-0); (7) green 3 (CAS 2353-45-9); (8) citrus red dye 2 (CAS 6358-53-8); or (9) orange B dye (CAS 15139-76-1). SECTION 3. This Act applies beginning with the 2027-2028 school year. SECTION 4. If before implementing any provision of this Act a state agency determines that a waiver or authorization from a federal agency is necessary for implementation of that provision, the agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or authorization and may delay implementing that provision until the waiver or authorization is granted. SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2027.