Policy Analysis of California Senate Bill 1138: Mandating Plant-Based Meal Options in Hospitals and Prisons
Year: 2020
Type: article
Abstract: Obesity, chronic disease, and poor nutrition are prevalent in the United States while healthcare costs rise. Nutritional research advancements have suggested the healthfulness of plant-based diets. In 2018, the California state senate passed Senate Bill 1138, requiring plant-based meal options in hospitals and prisons. This paper sought to examine the context surrounding the bill, determine the appropriateness of the bill, and recommend next steps for nutritional policies in the United States. In a review of the literature, malnutrition in hospitals and prisons is highly prevalent, and state governments have already made efforts to improve their citizens’ nutrition. In this analysis, Bardach’s eightfold path for policy analysis was used as a framework to determine the appropriateness of SB 1138. Three alternatives to SB 1138 were chosen to compare to the bill. Criteria to determine appropriateness were time, place, and manner. Based on time, place, and manner, SB 1138 was chosen as the most appropriate out of the four choices. Recommendations were made following the analysis. The state of Kentucky should adopt a bill like SB 1138, and the public health community should adopt a plant-based diet as the optimal diet for public health.
Author: David Morton
Language: English
Subfield: Food Science
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W3021217702