Bill > SB265

This bill mandates that the Secretary of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services request waivers from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to modify how Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, a federal program providing food assistance, can be used. Specifically, the bill requires the Secretary to seek a waiver to prevent SNAP benefits from being used to purchase "accessory foods," which are defined as items like candy, soft drinks, and specialty coffee drinks that have minimal nutritional value. The bill also requires the Secretary to seek a separate waiver to allow SNAP benefits to be used for purchasing hot foods from grocery stores, with specific definitions provided for what constitutes a grocery store and hot foods. For both waiver requests, the cabinet must provide updates to the Interim Joint Committee on Health Services at various stages of the application process, and if a waiver is denied, the Secretary must resubmit it with modifications as directed by the General Assembly.