Texas Senate bill by Sen. Middleton mandates origin labeling for meat and seafood products

Passed bill authored by State Sen. Mayes Middleton seeks to increase transparency for consumers by mandating clear labeling of the origin of meat, poultry, shrimp, and related food products sold in Texas, according to the Texas Legislature website.

In the Senate, 10 Democrats and 18 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, while one Democrat and two Republicans opposed it.

Meanwhile, in the House, 56 Democrats and 85 Republicans voted in favor, with no opposing votes.

Mayes Middleton introduced the bill in the Texas Senate on Thursday, Jan. 16, during the 89th regular legislative session.

Middleton graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a BA and again from University of Texas Law School with a JD.

Middleton, a Republican, was elected to the Texas State Senate in 2023 to represent the state’s 11th Senate district, replacing previous state senator Larry Taylor.

According to the Texas Legislature, the bill’s official text was summarized as follows: ‘Relating to labeling and representation of imported shrimp; authorizing an administrative penalty’.

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill mandates that labels on meat, poultry, shrimp, and related food products sold in Texas must clearly disclose whether the products originated in the state. The requirement aims to provide transparency to consumers regarding the source of their food. The executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission is tasked with implementing rules to enforce the labeling provisions as added under Sections 433.046 and 436.083 of the Health and Safety Code. The bill is scheduled to take effect on Sept. 1, 2025.

The bill received its final legislative approval on Wednesday, May 28, and was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday, June 20.

Bills in Texas go through a multi-step legislative process, including committee review, debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching a final decision. Each session, there are typically thousands of bills introduced, but only a portion successfully navigate the process to become law.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.