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Committee studies SNAP 'Healthy Choice' waiver; DHHS warns of implementation costs and retailer burden
Summary
DHHS outlined two implementation paths for a Healthy Choice SNAP waiver — retailer‑level coding or EBT‑vendor tracking — and estimated state costs up to about $2.6 million for FY29 plus system changes and federal reporting. Retailers and faith groups cautioned against administrative burden and reduced dignity for recipients.
The committee heard testimony on HB 17‑73 FN, which would direct the state to seek a federal waiver to restrict certain items purchased with SNAP benefits and to fund an outreach/education component.
DHHS witnesses Karen Hebert and Brian Clark described two approaches: (1) rely on retailer coding of SKUs so point‑of‑sale systems block disallowed products; or (2) modify the EBT vendor system to receive UPC‑level item data and block purchases at the vendor level. Clark said no state to his knowledge has implemented…
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