PHOENIX (CN) - Arizona Republicans are trying for the second year to ban soda and other unhealthy foods from food stamp eligibility.
On Wednesday, the state House of Representatives advanced House Bill 2396, which prohibits Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients from using benefits to purchase soda or other sugary drinks, candy, "snack foods with minimal nutritional value" and hot, prepared foods.
The U.S Department of Agriculture defines foods with minimal nutritional value as having less than 5% of a person's daily needs in a key nutrient like protein or calcium.
State Representative Leo Biasiuccu, a Republican from Lake Havasu City, said on the House floor that the bill is about promoting health, and protecting people from unhealthy foods he says already disproportionately harm people from low-income backgrounds.
"The number one item purchased with SNAP dollars is soda. That is absolutely insane," he said. "We need to do what we can to help people in need, but we should be helping them get food that's actually nutritious, not soda."
Democrats condemned the bill, saying it would create a "second class" of grocery shoppers who are restricted in what they choose for themselves and their families to eat. The restrictions, along with Phoenix being riddled with food deserts, the lawmakers say, will only make it more difficult to purchase food.
"People are already hurting," Democratic state Senator Quanta Crews of Phoenix said. "I see the intent, but as a former retail employee, I'm really concerned."
State Representative Oscar De Los Santos, also a Phoenix Democrat, added that grocery stores will likely raise the prices of SNAP-excluded items to make up for lost SNAP revenue.
"It is going to raise food prices for hard working families," De Los Santos said.
Generally, federal SNAP benefits cannot be used on hot-and-ready food items like rotisserie chickens, or restaurant or deli meals. Arizona is one of the few states that participates in the Restaurant Meals Program, which allows qualifying SNAP recipients to use their EBT cards to buy some hot prepared meals from grocery stores and to order from participating restaurants.
Those benefits typically extend to people with disabilities, people 60 years or older or people who are homeless.
Biasiucci's bill would remove those benefits.
"This bill specifically wrecks their access to food," state Senator Nancy Gutierrez, a Phoenix Democrat, told the House. "I know that is not the intent, but that is actually what the bill does."
Biasiucci said in a committee hearing in January that he's open to amending the bill to allow for the Restaurant Meals Program to continue, but has not yet done so.
Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs vetoed a similar bill last year.
At least 850,000 Arizonans - 12% of the state - receive SNAP benefits, including more than 300,000 children. The average household receives about $350 per month to supplement food budgets.
House Republicans are also reattempting to require SNAP recipients to participate in employment and training programs.
State Representative Chris Lopez, a Phoenix Republican, sponsored House Bill 2442, which requires all able bodied SNAP recipients to complete employment and training programs, and House Bill 2448, which prohibits state agencies from waiving work requirements without direct Legislative approval.
De Los Santos warned that the latter could lead to unfortunate consequences if a recession hits when the Legislature is out of session.
"What happens if there's a recession that hits suddenly in August or September or October and you have hundreds of thousands of Arizonans who need SNAP but don't qualify?" he asked.
Under the current system, the Department of Economic Security has the authority to waive requirements in that scenario.
"But under this proposal, that wouldn't be the case," De Los Santos said.
All three bills will soon receive a third reading and full vote on the Senate floor before moving to the House if successful.
Source: Courthouse News Service
