Bill Text: NY A08469 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Requires the department of social services to apply for a waiver or request authorization to create a list of healthy and nutritious foods and beverages that may be purchased with supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) benefits.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-04-26 - held for consideration in social services [A08469 Detail]

Download: New_York-2021-A08469-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          8469

                               2021-2022 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                    November 17, 2021
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by M. of A. GOODELL -- read once and referred to the Commit-
          tee on Social Services

        AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to  implementing  a
          healthy  food  initiative for beneficiaries of the supplemental nutri-
          tion assistance program

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section  1.  Legislative intent.  The intent of this legislation is to
     2  ensure that supplemental nutrition assistance  program  (SNAP)  benefits
     3  are  used to purchase healthy and nutritious food and beverages, thereby
     4  improving long-term  health, reducing the prevalence  of  weight-related
     5  diseases, and increasing the life expectancy for SNAP beneficiaries.
     6    §  2. Section 95 of the social services law is amended by adding a new
     7  subdivision 12 to read as follows:
     8    12. (a) The department shall, in consultation with the  department  of
     9  health, within ninety days after the effective date of this subdivision,
    10  apply  for a waiver or request authorization from the federal government
    11  to ensure that supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) benefits
    12  are used only for the purchase  of  healthy  and  nutritious  foods  and
    13  beverages.    In developing the list of healthy and nutritious foods and
    14  beverages, the department shall consider those items that  are  approved
    15  for  the  special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and
    16  children.
    17    (b) For the purposes of  this  subdivision,  "healthy  and  nutritious
    18  foods  and  beverages"  shall  include  infant and adult cereal; fruits,
    19  vegetables, nuts, meats, and fish; bread, rice,  flour,  spices,  baking
    20  supplies,  soft  corn  and  wheat  tortillas; fruit and vegetable juice;
    21  eggs; milk; cheese; peanut butter,  jelly;  dried  beans  or  peas;  soy
    22  beverage,  tofu;  and  other  items as determined by the commissioner of
    23  health to be medically or nutritionally warranted, or  otherwise  appro-

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD10917-05-1
        A. 8469                             2

     1  priate for program participants in accordance with rules and regulations
     2  promulgated by the commissioner of health for such purpose.
     3    (c)  "Healthy  and  nutritious  foods and beverages" shall not include
     4  foods and beverages with significant amounts of added sugar,  artificial
     5  sweeteners,  or  sodium,  such  as  soft drinks, confectionary products,
     6  desserts, processed foods with high salt content, and similar items.
     7    § 3. The social services law is amended by adding a new  section  95-b
     8  to read as follows:
     9    §  95-b.  Healthy and nutritious use of supplemental nutrition assist-
    10  ance program benefits. 1. To the extent not  inconsistent  with  federal
    11  law  and  regulations, the office of temporary and disability assistance
    12  shall, in consultation with the department of health, establish  a  list
    13  of  approved  healthy  and  nutritious  foods and beverages which can be
    14  purchased using supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits under
    15  subdivision twelve of section ninety-five of this article.
    16    2. As used in this section, "healthy and nutritious foods and beverag-
    17  es" shall include infant and adult  cereal;  fruits,  vegetables,  nuts,
    18  meats, and  fish; bread, rice, flour, spices, baking supplies, soft corn
    19  and  wheat  tortillas;  fruit  and vegetable juice; eggs;  milk; cheese;
    20  peanut butter, jelly; dried beans or peas;  soy  beverage,  tofu;  other
    21  items  as  determined by the commissioner of health to be  medically  or
    22  nutritionally warranted, or otherwise appropriate  for  program  partic-
    23  ipants  in  accordance  with  rules  and  regulations promulgated by the
    24  commissioner of health for such purpose.
    25    3. "Healthy and nutritious foods  and  beverages"  shall  not  include
    26  foods  and  beverages with  significant  amounts of added sugar, artifi-
    27  cial sweeteners, or sodium, such as soft drinks, confectionary products,
    28  desserts, processed foods with high salt content, and similar items.
    29    § 4. This act shall take effect  immediately;  provided  that  section
    30  three  of  this  act  shall  take effect only upon the occurrence of the
    31  waiver or authorization from the  federal  government  provided  for  in
    32  section  two  of this act; provided further that the office of temporary
    33  and disability assistance shall notify  the  legislative  bill  drafting
    34  commission  upon the occurrence of such waiver or authorization in order
    35  that the commission may maintain an accurate and timely  effective  data
    36  base of the official text of the laws of the state of New York in furth-
    37  erance  of  effectuating the provisions of section 44 of the legislative
    38  law and section 70-b of the public officers law.