Change Sugar Warning Labels and Increase Restaurant Penalties
Enacted on Oct 26, 2026
Signed into Law
Local Law 2026/150
✦ Plain-Language Summary
This bill would require restaurants and food establishments to use a new red triangle design for high-sugar warning labels on menu items. It would also increase fines for businesses that don't properly display these warnings from $200 to $1,000.
The story behind this bill
Why it was introduced
In 2023 the Council required chain restaurants to post a black-and-white added sugar warning icon. Sponsors said the icon was too plain and the $200 fine too small to encourage compliance, so this bill updates the icon's design and raises penalties so restaurants take the sugar warning requirement seriously.
At the hearings
Committee on Health · 2026-03-05
Heard alongside a vaccine oversight hearing and several other bills. Sponsor Feliz explained the bill alongside a companion sodium-warning bill; DOHMH said it supported the goal but raised concerns about the originally proposed red icon design and asked to keep negotiating.
In support
- Council Member Oswald Feliz (sponsor): Plain black-and-white icons are not understood; bold red text and lower trigger levels protect residents in high-need communities.
- SNACC (Danielle Cohen): Clear warning labels help youth and families make informed choices about high-sugar chain restaurant food.
- American Heart Association (Jacob Zychick): Supports sugar and sodium warning labels to educate and empower consumers to make healthier choices.
- Dr. Anne Curtis, American College of Cardiology: High sugar intake is linked to cardiovascular disease; greater transparency can improve nutritional awareness.
Raised concerns
- DOHMH (Commissioner Alister Martin, Asst. Commissioner Bindy Crouch): Agreed with the bill's goals but raised accessibility concerns that a red icon is harder to see for people with low vision or color blindness.
- New York State Dental Hygienists Association (Donna Lee Hickey): Supports the policy generally but acknowledged the color issue DOHMH raised could be worked out.
City agencies: DOHMH said its goals were aligned with the sponsor's but it was 'still evaluating the impacts' of the bill, especially the red icon color, and wanted continued conversations before committing to support.
“Having a warning that people don't understand has the same effect as having no warning at all.”
“We appreciate the sponsor's thoughtfulness in trying to further address chronic disease inequities, and healthy decision-making when consuming fast-food products.”
“We do have some concerns around equitable access to a red icon, particularly with New Yorkers that have impaired vision or low vision.”
Show 1 more hearing
Committee on Health · 2026-09-10
Short voting meeting. The committee approved an amended version, Int. 547-B, without debate, followed shortly by a full Council vote the same day.
In support
- Council Member Carmen De La Rosa: Offered congratulations to the sponsor while voting yes, indicating support for passage.
“New Yorkers deserve clear and easily understandable information about what is in the food they eat.”
How it turned out
The Council passed the amended bill 50-1 on September 10, 2026, after committee approval 7-0, and sent it to the Mayor. The Mayor did not sign it, letting it become law by returning it unsigned on October 13, 2026, following a City Charter rule adoption on October 10.
What changed along the way
- Dropped the requirement for a red triangle icon, leaving the color/design to DOHMH rulemaking.
- Added a required 'HIGH SUGAR' text label in capital, bold letters matching the menu item's largest font size.
- Changed the civil penalty structure from a flat $200/$1,000 fine to a warning for a first violation, $100 for a second, $200 for a third or later.
- Added rules covering third-party food delivery platforms, with an affirmative defense for restaurants if the platform fails to post the warning.
- Extended the effective date to 6 months after enactment, with compliance required up to 18 months later.
What the record doesn’t say
- The documents do not explain why the Mayor returned the bill unsigned rather than signing or vetoing it, or what, if any, objections the administration had by September 2026.
- The transcripts do not show any council member or witness voicing opposition to the bill; the record does not explain why the final Council vote had one dissenting or non-affirmative member (listed as 'Bereavement').
- The record does not detail what changed DOHMH's position between its cautious 'still evaluating' stance in March 2026 and the unanimous committee vote in September 2026.
Sources
- Hearing Transcript 3/5/26
- Committee Report 3/5/26
- Fiscal Impact Statement - City Council
- Hearing Transcript 3/5/26
- Proposed Int. No. 547-A Fiscal Impact Statement - City Council
- Committee Report 9/10/26
- Proposed Int. No. 547-B Fiscal Impact Statement - City Council
- Committee Report - Stated Meeting
- Hearing Transcript - Stated Meeting 9-10-26
- Hearing Transcript 9/10/26
Written by AI from official Council records. Votes and status come from the record; quotes are checked word for word against the official hearing transcripts.
Details
- Introduced
- Feb 12, 2026
- Passed Council
- Oct 10, 2026
- Enacted
- Oct 10, 2026
- Body
- Committee on Health
- Type
- Introduction
- Status
- Enacted
Sponsors (7)
Official Description
This bill would require the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) to designate icons and factual warning statements to be displayed by certain food service establishments on menus or menu boards adjacent to the menu items, and on or near food items on display, for any food item that meets or exceeds 100 percent of the daily value for added sugars determined by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or that meets or exceeds another amount of added sugars specified by DOHMH. The bill would also amend the existing civil penalty scheme for added sugar notifications by establishing a warning for the first violation, followed by $100 for a second violation and $200 for a third violation and subsequent violations. The bill would also require DOHMH to conduct a public education and outreach campaign to educate food service establishments about the new requirements.