Bill > S4348

Introduced Session

This bill directs the Department of Human Services (department) to submit to the federal Department of Agriculture a waiver to allow the State to prohibit Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) enrollees from purchasing soft drinks with SNAP benefits. As defined in this bill, a "soft drink" means any non-alcoholic beverage that contains added caloric sweeteners or artificial sweeteners, but does not include: (1) any beverage that contains milk or a milk alternative, including, but not limited to soy milk, almond milk, oat milk, or other similar products; or (2) any beverage that contains more than 50 percent vegetable or fruit juice. The waiver request would include: (1) a justification citing public health concerns, SNAP's statutory intent, and potential cost savings to taxpayers; (2) an implementation plan to ensure that existing point-of-sale systems used by State retailers that participate in SNAP can properly enforce the proposed restriction; (3) a strategy for education and outreach to inform the SNAP recipients of alternative healthy beverage options; and (4) a reporting mechanism to track the impact of the waiver, including spending patterns and health outcomes. If the waiver submitted under the bill is approved, the department is to implement the restriction within six months of receiving federal approval. If the waiver is denied, the department is to resubmit the request annually until the approval is granted. The Commissioner of Human Services would be required to submit a report to the Governor and to the Legislature within 30 days of receiving a determination on a waiver request submitted pursuant to this bill. The report would include the determination made by the federal government, any reasons for a denial, if a denial was received, and any recommendations from the commissioner for further action to implement the provisions of this bill.

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Paul Sarlo (D)*,  Mike Testa (R)*, 

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee (on 05/12/2025)

Official Document