The Assembly Appropriations Committee advanced SB 869 on Aug. 5, keeping alive a proposal that would require chain restaurants with 20 or more locations to display a warning icon next to beverages that contain at least 100% of the recommended daily value of added sugar.
The bill moved ahead after testimony from supporters including the American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association, which backed the measure in committee. Matt Sutton of the California Restaurant Association testified in opposition unless the bill is amended, citing implementation concerns for drive-thru menus and QR-code ordering systems, according to the committee record.
The committee vote details in the available record show SB 869 passed the panel and remained under discussion alongside other bills heard during the Aug. 5 meeting. The source materials do not spell out any final agreement on amendments or the next step in negotiations with restaurant groups.
The committee also heard SB 999, SB 931, SB 952 and other bills during the same hearing, but SB 869 drew the clearest split between public-health advocates and the restaurant industry.
