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 meet 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, at least two of the meals must include servings from at least two of the following food groups: fruit, vegetables, nonfat or low-fat dairy, meat or meat alternatives, and whole grains.

The act also 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. When taking orders for children's meals, restaurant employees must offer one of these default beverages.

The Department of Health will be responsible for implementing, administering, and enforcing the provisions of the Healthy Kids Act. This includes creating written informational resources and signage in English and Spanish to assist restaurants and their employees in compliance. Restaurants will be required to train their employees on these 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, 2027.