Int. No. 834

By the Public Advocate (Mr. Williams) and Council Members Gennaro, Brannan, Louis, Restler and Hanif

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to posting information on school meal ingredients and preparation online and reporting on allergic reactions to school meals

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

Section 1. Title 21-A of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new chapter 29 to read as follows:

CHAPTER 29

SCHOOL MEALS AND ALLERGIC REACTIONS

§ 21-1000 Definitions. For the purposes of this chapter, the term “school meal” means a meal or a snack that a school provides to a student, parent or guardian during the calendar year, which is consumed at or outside of a school.

§ 21-1001 Posting information on school meal ingredients and preparation online. a. Within 30 days of the effective date of the local law that added this chapter, the department shall post on its website and update, as appropriate, information on school meal ingredients and preparation.

b. Such information shall include the following for each menu item in a school meal:

1. The ingredients in each such menu item;

2. A brief description of how each such menu item was made, including, but not limited to, whether or not it was made in a peanut and tree nut free facility, in a facility that processes milk ingredients or on equipment shared with products containing milk, if applicable; and

3. A brief description of how each such menu item was cooked, including, but not limited to, whether or not it was cooked in a microwave, an oven or a stove, to prepare it for eating, if applicable.

§ 21-1002 Outreach on school meal ingredients and preparation. Beginning no later than the effective date of the local law that added this chapter, and for 90 days thereafter, the department shall conduct culturally appropriate outreach in the designated citywide languages, as defined in section 23-1101, to notify parents and guardians of the information required by section 21-1001. Such outreach shall include, but need not be limited to, conducting mailings to parents and guardians, including, but not limited to, electronic and paper mailings.

§ 21-1003 Reporting on allergic reactions to school meals. a. By no later than the effective date of the local law that added this chapter, and annually thereafter, the department shall submit a report on students’ allergic reactions to school meals to the mayor, the speaker of the council and the public advocate, which the department shall post on its website. The annual report shall include the following information, for the prior calendar year, to the extent such information is known and available to the department:

1. The number of allergic reactions that students had at a school to a school meal;

2. The percent change, from the prior calendar year, in the number of such allergic reactions;

3. The number of students who had such allergic reactions;

4. The percent change, from the prior calendar year, in the number of students who had such allergic reactions;

5. The number and percent of such allergic reactions, disaggregated by the allergen that caused such allergic reaction, including, but not limited to, milk, wheat, sesame, tree nuts, soy, fish, shellfish and peanuts; and

6. The department’s efforts to prevent such allergic reactions.

b. The report required by subdivision a shall not contain any personally identifiable information.

c. No information that is otherwise required to be reported pursuant to this section shall be reported in a manner that would violate any applicable provision of federal, state or local law.

§ 2. This local law takes effect immediately.

Session 13

LS # 4161

1/9/24

Session 12

NLB

LS # 4161

12/27/21