Dye Free Procurement Act
Summary
What This Bill Does
The Dye Free Procurement Act changes federal food purchasing. Six months after enactment, the head of an executive agency may not renew or enter into a contract to procure food containing a covered color additive. The bill also requires agencies to prioritize food without any color additives when such food is available and practicable. Covered color additives include Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5, Yellow No. 6, Green No. 3, Blue No. 1, Blue No. 2, Citrus Red No. 2, and Orange B. The bill uses Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act definitions for color additive and food, and the title 41 definition for executive agency.
Who Benefits and How
Federal food consumers benefit because agencies would avoid purchasing foods with the listed color additives and prioritize dye-free options. Dye-free food manufacturers benefit from a stronger position in federal procurement. Parents, health advocates, and nutrition advocates benefit from a federal purchasing rule aimed at reducing exposure to specified dyes. Agency procurement programs benefit from a clear list of covered color additives.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Executive agency contracting officers must screen food contracts for covered color additives, avoid renewals or new contracts for covered foods, and prioritize dye-free alternatives where practicable. Food vendors using listed dyes may lose federal procurement opportunities unless they reformulate. Food service contractors must verify ingredient lists and supplier compliance. Federal agencies may face higher procurement costs or reduced choices if dye-free substitutes are less available.
Key Provisions
- Prohibits executive agencies from renewing or entering food procurement contracts for foods containing covered color additives.
- Requires agencies to prioritize food without any color additives when available and practicable.
- Lists covered additives including Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5, Yellow No. 6, Green No. 3, Blue No. 1, Blue No. 2, Citrus Red No. 2, and Orange B.
- Applies the procurement restriction to contracts entered into six months after enactment.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Bars executive agencies from renewing or entering food procurement contracts for products containing specified synthetic color additives, directs agencies to prioritize foods with no color additives when practicable, and applies the rule to contracts entered six months after enactment.
Key Policy Areas
Federal Procurement, Food Safety, Consumer Products, Executive Agencies
Primary Purpose
Bars executive agencies from renewing or entering food procurement contracts for products containing specified synthetic color additives, directs agencies to prioritize foods with no color additives when practicable, and applies the rule to contracts entered six months after enactment.
Policy Domains
Substantive provisions
Identified Gains
- Federal food consumers
- Dye-free food manufacturers
- Parents
- Health advocates
- Nutrition advocates
- Agency procurement programs
Identified Costs
- Executive agency contracting officers
- Food vendors using listed dyes
- Food service contractors
- Federal agencies
- Federal taxpayers
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeMr. Lawler introduced the following bill; which was referred to …
Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
Introduced in House
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "FFDCA"
- → Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act
- "executive agency"
- → Executive agency as defined in title 41.
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology