Indiana Bill: HB 1137

Bill Summary

HB 1137 requires any public or charter school that participates in a federally funded meal program to stop serving or selling—directly or through third‑party vendors—any food or beverage containing 13 specified additives anywhere on school property during the school day, starting with the 2027–28 school year. The banned list covers synthetic dyes (Red 3, Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3), preservatives (BHT, TBHQ), and other additives (potassium bromate, propylparaben, titanium dioxide, azodicarbonamide). Schools must also post breakfast and lunch menus with complete ingredient lists on their websites; exemptions apply to concession stands and fundraisers at least 30 minutes after school ends, vending machines inaccessible to students during the day, and food brought from home by parents.

Why It Matters to the Make America Healthy Again Movement

The MAHA Movement strongly supports this bill because it directly targets a concentrated list of ultra‑processed additives linked in research to hyperactivity, endocrine disruption, and other health concerns—exactly the kinds of chemicals MAHA wants out of kids’ everyday diets, especially in school meals that supply a large share of children’s calories. By combining a clear on‑campus ban with online ingredient transparency, HB 1137 uses the school environment to normalize cleaner, less ultra‑processed food and give families real visibility into what students are eating, advancing MAHA’s broader strategy of cleaning up the food supply from the ground up.