Rep. Lowery files bill in North Carolina House addressing food labeling and procurement

A new bill filed by State Rep. Jarrod Lowery in the North Carolina House seeks to regulate food labeling, restrict certain purchases in schools, and fund environmental projects through an investment fee, according to the North Carolina State House.

The bill, filed as HB 135 on Feb. 17 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘Misbranding/Cell-Cultured Meat/WNC Donations.’

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

In essence, this bill aims to address food product misbranding, regulate procurement practices in educational institutions, and introduce an environmental investment assessment on certain meat and analogous products. It mandates that labels for manufactured-protein food products using traditional meat or poultry terms must include distinct qualifying terms to avoid being deemed misbranded. It restricts North Carolina public schools, community colleges, and universities from purchasing misbranded or cell-cultured food products. Additionally, the bill imposes a 5-cent environmental investment fee on retail sales of animal agriculture products and their analogues, with proceeds to fund environmental improvement projects. The bill becomes effective Oct. 1, 2025, with specific provisions applicable from the 2026–2027 academic year.

Of the four sponsors of this bill, Kyle Hall proposed the most bills (10) during the 2025 regular session.

Bills in North Carolina follow a multi-step process before becoming law. A lawmaker starts by filing a bill, which is assigned to a committee for review. The bill must be read three times in each chamber. If one chamber changes the bill after the other passes it, both must agree on the final version. Once both chambers approve the same bill, it goes to the governor, who has 10 days (or 30 if the legislature is not in session) to sign, veto, or let it become law without a signature.

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

Lowery graduated from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke in 2012 with a BS.

Lowery, a Republican, was elected to the North Carolina State House in 2023 to represent the state’s 47th House district, replacing previous state representative Charles Graham.