KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) – Deputy Speaker and Knoxville representative Jason Zachary has introduced legislation that would allow Tennessee to ban junk food purchases from the U.S. program that helps low-income families pay for food.
It comes as the idea, which is nothing new, is seeing a similar federal push. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., newly confirmed at the country’s health and human services secretary, and new Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins have both shown they are in support of stripping treats away from SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
Previous Coverage: Trump officials want to ban junk food from SNAP. Past efforts show it’s not easy to do
The Tennessee SNAP Act would require the Tennessee Department of Human Services to request a waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture allowing the state to end benefits for candy and soft drinks, like soda.
“The purpose of SNAP is to provide food security and nutrition to low-income Americans,” Zachary said. “There is no nutritional value to candy or soft drinks, and these goods should not be purchased with public funds in Tennessee. The Tennessee Health SNAP Act will help further the nationwide campaign to make America healthy again while ensuring this important benefit is used wisely in our state by residents who rely on it.”
The plan to ask for a waiver allowing the state to set the standards is the easier of two possible methods reported by the Associated Press. The outlet spoke with Katie Bergh, a senior policy analyst for the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities about the push. She said stripping junk food from SNAP would require an act of congress or for states to be granted the waivers.
That being said, opponents to the initiative have claimed there’s several reasons the move may not pan out. Bergh’s nonpartisan group told the AP that limiting SNAP food choices could be difficult to implement and expensive. Zachary implied on Monday that his legislation had planned for enforcement, however.
“House Bill 1236 instructs the department to have a plan to ensure existing point-of-sale systems can properly enforce the prohibition of candy and soft drinks,” he said. “The bill will also provide education and outreach opportunities for SNAP recipients on alternative healthy food options.”
Even with an idea in mind, past efforts to limit what’s covered under SNAP have not panned out.
“None of those requests have ever been approved under either Republican or Democratic presidents,” Bergh told AP, referring to past pushes for state-controlled SNAP qualifications.
Beyond the possibility, some claim limiting what’s allowed under SNAP undermines the autonomy of low-income Americans.
“This is just another way to cut benefits,” Gina Plata-Nino, a deputy director at the nonprofit Food Research and Action Center, told AP, referring to the federal push. “It’s like, how do we restrict people more? How do we stigmatize them more?”
A USDA report put ranked “sweetened beverages” and “prepared desserts” as the second- and fifth-most purchased types of items by SNAP recipients, who receive, on average, $187 per month — or about $6 per day — from the program. That being said, those same foods ranked at number five and number six for non-SNAP households.
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