HB316 Alabama 2025 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Mack N. ButlerRepresentative

Republican

Session

2025 Regular Session

Title

Drugs; foods containing vaccines or vaccine material included within term; misbranded if not conspicuously labeled

Summary

HB316 would treat foods that contain vaccines as drugs and require specific labeling to prevent misbranding, with some technical code updates.

What This Bill Does

It expands the definition of 'drug' to include foods containing a vaccine or vaccine material. It defines 'vaccine or vaccine material' and requires foods containing it to be labeled with the notice 'Contains Vaccine or Vaccine Material' in a uniform font and size, and to indicate that the article is classified as a drug under this chapter. If such foods are not labeled as required, they would be considered misbranded under existing rules. The bill also includes non-substantive technical updates to bring the code language up to current style, and it sets an effective date of October 1, 2025.

Who It Affects

• Food manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, and other entities involved in producing or selling foods that contain vaccine material must comply with the new labeling and drug-classification rules.
• Alabama consumers will encounter these foods with new labeling requirements and are protected by misbranding standards.

Key Provisions

• Adds foods that contain vaccines or vaccine material to the definition of 'drug' in Sections 20-1-20 and 20-1-25, Code of Alabama 1975.
• Defines 'vaccine or vaccine material' for purposes of the bill.
• Requires foods containing vaccine material to bear a label stating 'Contains Vaccine or Vaccine Material' in a uniform font and size and to indicate the article is classified as a drug under this chapter.
• Makes foods containing vaccine material misbranded if packaging fails to meet the labeling requirements or if the labeling is false or misleading, consistent with existing misbranding rules.
• Includes nonsubstantive, technical revisions to update the code language to current style.
• Effective date: October 1, 2025.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Controlled Substances