Illinois Sen. Fine’s baby food safety testing bill passes House and Senate

Passed bill authored by State Sen. Laura Fine aims to regulate testing and disclosure of toxic elements in baby foods, seeking to enhance consumer information and safety in Illinois, according to the Illinois General Assembly.

In the House, 74 Democrats and 40 Republicans voted in favor of the bill.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 33 Democrats and 19 Republicans voted in favor of the bill.

Fine introduced the bill in the Illinois Senate on Jan. 13, 2025 during the 104th session.

The legislation, known as SB0073, was passed on May 31, 2025 during the general assembly session 104.

According to the Illinois General Assembly site, the legislature summarized the bill’s official text as follows: “Amends the Illinois Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. Provides that on and after January 1, 2026, a person may not sell, distribute, or offer for sale baby food in the State that contains toxic heavy metals that exceed the limits established by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Defines “toxic heavy metal” as arsenic, cadmium, lead, or mercury and defines other terms. Provides that beginning January 1, 2026, each manufacturer of baby food shall test a representative sample of each production aggregate of the manufacturer’s final baby food product for each toxic heavy metal. Requires monthly testing. Beginning January 1, 2027, requires each manufacturer of baby food to make certain information publicly available. Provides that if a consumer believes, based on information gathered through the use of the code included on the baby food product label, that baby food is being sold in the State with toxic heavy metals that exceed limits established by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the consumer may report that baby food to the Department of Public Health.”

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

In essence, this bill amends the Illinois Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act to regulate the sale and manufacture of baby foods by requiring testing for toxic elements such as arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury. Each manufacturer must test a representative sample of their final baby food product from each production aggregate at a proficient laboratory at least once per month. Starting Jan. 1, 2027, manufacturers must disclose on their websites detailed information about the levels of toxic elements present in each final baby food product, based on testing results. If tested for certain toxic elements subject to U.S. FDA action levels, product labels must include a QR code linking to test results and related information. The Illinois Department of Public Health will implement a system for consumer reporting of baby foods.

The bill was sponsored by Sen. Andrew S. Chesney (Republican-45th District), Sen. Christopher Belt (Democrat-57th District), and Sen. Craig Wilcox (Republican-32nd District), along with 22 other sponsors.

Bills in Illinois follow a multi-step legislative process, beginning with introduction in either the House or Senate, followed by committee review, floor debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching the governor for approval or veto. The General Assembly operates on a biennial schedule, and while typically thousands of bills are introduced each session, only a fraction successfully pass through the process to become law.

You can read more about bills and other measures here.

Fine graduated from Indiana University in 1985 with a BA.

Fine, a Democrat, was elected to the Illinois State Senate in 2019 to represent the state’s 9th Senate District, replacing previous state senator Daniel Biss.

Lawmakers listed as “Not Voting” were present for the vote but did not cast a vote. Those marked as having an “Excused Absence” were not present and formally provided a reason for their absence, which was accepted.

While the final vote determined the bill’s passage, lawmakers in both chambers held an additional vote related to a concurrence. This earlier vote is included below for context.