Monitoring the Session

HB 5548

bill banning 13 food additives from school meals

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. Terry M. WilsonRHouse 20

Initial review · graded Oct 20, 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 food additives from being included at primary and secondary schools.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Red 40, yellow 5, titanium dioxide and friends are off the lunch tray.

The bill bars Texas public school districts and open-enrollment charter schools that serve meals from serving any food containing 13 listed additives, including brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, titanium dioxide and several artificial dyes such as red 40 and yellow 5. It also bars any additive substantially similar to the listed dyes, and it touches public schools, charter schools and the vendors who supply their meals. Starting with the 2026-2027 school year, school meals must be free of these substances.

Labels

Labels: NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Mar 14, 2025 and referred to the House Public Education committee. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB5548 · 2025-03-14

SOLD BY

Rep. Terry M. WilsonRHouse 20

ITEM

relating to prohibiting certain food additives from being included at primary and secondary schools.

WHAT IT DOES

Red 40, yellow 5, titanium dioxide and friends are off the lunch tray.

The bill bars Texas public school districts and open-enrollment charter schools that serve meals from serving any food containing 13 listed additives, including brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, titanium dioxide and several artificial dyes such as red 40 and yellow 5. It also bars any additive substantially similar to the listed dyes, and it touches public schools, charter schools and the vendors who supply their meals. Starting with the 2026-2027 school year, school meals must be free of these substances.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

HISTORY

  1. Filed
  2. Read first time
  3. Referred to Public Education
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Terry M. Wilson

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$414KTexas Conservative Majority PAC$231KKenneth Mongold$25,000

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 · Oct 29, 2024 to Oct 23, 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$413,658.18

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$413,658.18

Cash
$35,000.00
Paid by others
$378,658.18
Total
$413,658.18
mail $190,451.68advertising $178,456.50polling $8,750.00Other filed descriptions $1,000.00

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.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 27, 2025 to Oct 20, 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: 101007854, 101030352, 101067580, 101071564.

Texas Conservative Majority PAC$231,075.00

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$231,075.00

Cash
$50,000.00
Paid by others
$181,075.00
Total
$231,075.00
canvassing $157,125.00polling $23,950.00

Also funds 42 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jan 23, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Aug 25, 2026 to Oct 18, 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: 101067580, 101071564.

Kenneth Mongold$25,000.00
Money

Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.

×

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$413,658.18

Cash
$35,000.00
Paid by others
$378,658.18
Total
$413,658.18
mail $190,451.68advertising $178,456.50polling $8,750.00Other filed descriptions $1,000.00

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.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 27, 2025 to Oct 20, 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: 101007854, 101030352, 101067580, 101071564.

×

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$231,075.00

Cash
$50,000.00
Paid by others
$181,075.00
Total
$231,075.00
canvassing $157,125.00polling $23,950.00

Also funds 42 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jan 23, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Aug 25, 2026 to Oct 18, 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: 101067580, 101071564.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Fiscal

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

How this was graded

Analysis of text version I by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 20, 2026, against the published rubric.

Sources

Texas House · Filed Mar 14, 2025

04/07/2025 H Referred to Public Education: Apr 7 2025 5:28PM

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:20 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

House committee · Public Education · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

Education--Primary & Secondary--General

Minors--Health & Safety

FOOD

Text

The text as introduced · 219 words

By: Wilson
H.B. No. 5548

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to prohibiting certain food additives from being included

at primary and secondary schools.

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 SCHOOL

MEALS. A school district or open-enrollment charter school that

provides meals to students may not provide any food that contains

the following substances:

(1) brominated vegetable oil (BVO);

(2) potassium bromate;

(3) propylparaben;

(4) azodicarbonamide;

(5) butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA);

(6) titanium dioxide;

(7) red dye 3 (CAS 16423-68-0);

(8) blue 1 (CAS 3844-45-9);

(9) blue 2 (CAS 860-22-0);

(10) green 3 (CAS 2353-45-9);

(11) red 40 (CAS 25956-17-6);

(12) yellow 5 (CAS 1934-21-0);

(13) yellow 6 (CAS 2783-94-0); or

(14) any additive that is substantially similar to an

additive specified in Subdivisions (7) through (13).

SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2026-2027

school year.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives

a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as

provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this

Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this

Act takes effect September 1, 2025.