The proposed bill, known as the "Healthy Kids Act," aims to establish nutritional standards for children's meals served in restaurants in Rhode Island. Under this act, restaurants will be required to offer at least two healthy options for children's meals, or twenty-five percent of the children's meals on their menu, whichever is greater. These meals must adhere to specific nutritional guidelines, including limits of no more than 550 calories, 700 milligrams of sodium, 15 grams of added sugars, 10% of calories from saturated fat, and zero grams of trans-fat. Additionally, the act mandates that default beverages for children's meals must be water, unflavored nonfat or low-fat milk, or a non-dairy milk alternative, all without added natural or artificial sweeteners.

The Department of Health will be responsible for implementing, administering, and enforcing the provisions of the Healthy Kids Act, including creating written informational resources and signage in English and Spanish to assist restaurants in compliance. Restaurants will also be required to train their employees on these new standards and maintain records of the nutritional content of their children's meals, making such records available to the Department of Health upon request. The act is set to take effect on January 1, 2026.