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Committee adopts language clearing path to seek USDA waiver to exclude soda and candy from SNAP purchases
Summary
Senate Bill 217, amended to broaden definitions for negotiations with USDA, passed the committee; supporters framed it as aligning supplemental nutrition assistance with a nutrition-focused purpose.
Senate Bill 217, presented by Greg Pfister of FGA Action, directs the state Department of Human Services to file a waiver with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to clarify that soda and candy would not be eligible purchases under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The committee adopted an amendment adjusting definitions of candy and soft drinks to give state negotiators more flexibility with USDA.
Pfister said the bill is not “about picking a fight” with particular foods but is intended to align SNAP purchases with the program’s statutory purpose of improving nutritional outcomes. “If [SNAP] does not line up with what it was created to do, then let’s be honest and make some adjustments,” he told the committee.
The sponsor said the amendment narrows and clarifies definitions so the governor’s office and the Department of Human Services have “maximum flexibility to negotiate” with USDA on an acceptable waiver. The amendment was adopted by voice vote; no formal numeric roll call appears in the transcript.
No opponents were present at the committee hearing; a written proponent (Mary Anne McIntyre) was noted on the record but did not appear to testify in person. The committee passed SB217 as amended; the chair called the voice vote “Ayes have it.”
Why it matters: The bill would authorize state officials to seek a federal waiver changing the allowable items under SNAP, a policy change that would require federal approval and could affect how low-income families purchase certain packaged foods if ultimately approved by USDA.
