Gov. Landry, RFK Jr. sign Louisiana bill inspired by Make America Healthy Again movement

BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — Gov. Jeff Landry and U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. signed a Louisiana bill tied to a national health initiative known as Make America Healthy Again (MAHA).

The bill

filed in the state’s 2025 regular legislative session proposed new requirements that aim to educate people about ingredients in their food, prevent artificial colors and additives from being served to students and provide education requirements for some working in the health care industry.

“Senate Bill 14 is all about protecting our children and the ingredients in the foods that we serve them in schools. It’s about transparency, both for restaurants and for food manufacturers to disclose the types of ingredients that they’re serving us and the potential impact those ingredients can have on our bodies,” bill author Sen. Patrick McMath (R-Covington) said.

McMath thanked a group referred to as MAHA moms for their grassroots efforts advocating for healthy lifestyles and improved nutrition nationwide.

Landry said Louisiana “is winning like never before” as the state has made major changes in public safety, educational reform, tax cuts and reform to create a “new Industrial South” benefitting families. But said it does not matter if there isn’t a healthy population.

“There was a time when our population was much healthier, when children played outside, when recess was a time for physical activity instead of Snapchat and TikTok. Today, Louisiana faces high rates of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer,” Landry said.

According to Kennedy, the U.S. has a chronic disease epidemic. He said he’s confident that the new law is a step toward changing Louisiana’s near last national ranking for health.

“I want to thank you all for your support of this bill, for your support of Gov. Landry, and he and I share a vision for what this country should look like. It should be a country of healthy kids again and we’re going to make that happen together,” Kennedy said.

In May, Landry signed an executive order to ban soft drinks and candy using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits while pushing for federal legislation. Officials announced Friday that a formal waiver request was submitted to the federal government.

“But our work is far from complete; we must continue to challenge a system that has been prioritizing profit over health,” Landry said.

Protestors gathered in Baton Rouge Friday morning to voice their opposition to Kennedy’s recent actions, including his push to cut funding to the National Institute of Health and the disbanding of the Centers for Disease Control’s advisory committee for vaccines, and the passage of SB 14.

“While it sounds good on paper, it’s a dangerous overstep that puts our rights and communities at risk. Stop government overreach in our food choices!” Indivisible Baton Rouge said about the new Louisiana law.

Landry also signed a bill approved during the legislative session allowing pharmacists to sell ivermectin without a prescription.

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