Bill Text: TX HB2639 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to allowable food purchases under the supplemental nutrition assistance program.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-03-16 - Referred to Human Services [HB2639 Detail]
Download: Texas-2015-HB2639-Introduced.html
84R3084 LED-D | ||
By: Raymond | H.B. No. 2639 |
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relating to allowable food purchases under the supplemental | ||
nutrition assistance program. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. FINDINGS AND DECLARATION OF POLICY. The | ||
legislature finds that: | ||
(1) Texans are committed to ensuring the health of | ||
families and children and understand the important role of | ||
preventive health care measures in improving population health and | ||
the state economy; | ||
(2) consuming healthy foods such as fruits, | ||
vegetables, whole grains, fat-free and low-fat dairy products, and | ||
seafood, and consuming fewer foods with sodium, saturated and trans | ||
fats, added sugars, and refined grains, are important preventive | ||
health care measures; and | ||
(3) tax dollars intended to support a family's access | ||
to an adequate and nutritional diet should not be diverted to | ||
subsidize the purchase of items of minimal nutritional value. | ||
SECTION 2. WAIVER OR OTHER AUTHORIZATION TO ALIGN ALLOWABLE | ||
FOOD ITEMS UNDER CERTAIN PROGRAMS. (a) The executive commissioner | ||
of the Health and Human Services Commission shall develop and seek a | ||
waiver or other appropriate authorization from the United States | ||
secretary of agriculture under Section 17, Food and Nutrition Act | ||
of 2008 (7 U.S.C. Section 2026), to restrict the purchase of food | ||
items with minimal nutritional value under the supplemental | ||
nutrition assistance program provided under Chapter 33, Human | ||
Resources Code, by: | ||
(1) amending the list of allowable food items under | ||
the program to better align that list with nutrition standards | ||
under the national free or reduced-price lunch program established | ||
under 42 U.S.C. Section 1751 et seq.; and | ||
(2) restricting the purchase of food items considered | ||
to have minimal nutritional value under the national free or | ||
reduced-price lunch program, including items in the categories of | ||
foods listed in 7 C.F.R. Part 210, Appendix B. | ||
(b) As soon as practicable after the effective date of this | ||
Act, the Health and Human Services Commission shall apply for and | ||
actively pursue the waiver or other authorization as required by | ||
Subsection (a) of this section. | ||
SECTION 3. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect | ||
immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members | ||
elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas | ||
Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for | ||
immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |