HM 581, Engrossed 1 2023 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. hm0581-01-e1 Page 1 of 2 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S House Memorial 1 A memorial to the Congress of the United States, 2 urging Congress to prohibit the use of Supplemental 3 Nutrition Assistance Program benefits to purchase soft 4 drinks and noncarbonated beverages with equivalent 5 nutritional value. 6 7 WHEREAS, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program 8 (SNAP) offers nutrition assistance to eligible, low -income 9 individuals and families in the form of funds to purchase 10 eligible food, and 11 WHEREAS, the Food and Nutrition Service, under the United 12 States Department of Agriculture (USDA), administers SNAP, and 13 the Florida Department of Children and Families distributes the 14 benefits, and 15 WHEREAS, SNAP benefits may be used to purcha se any food or 16 food product intended for human consumption, including soft 17 drinks, but may not be used to purchase alcoholic beverages, 18 tobacco, hot foods, and hot food products prepared for immediate 19 consumption, and 20 WHEREAS, soft drinks are nutrient poo r but rich in calories 21 and can lead to nutritional deficiencies and health disorders 22 including obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, and 23 diabetes, and 24 HM 581, Engrossed 1 2023 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. hm0581-01-e1 Page 2 of 2 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S WHEREAS, state and local governments have requested 25 permission from the USDA for waivers to prohi bit SNAP 26 participants from purchasing soft drinks with their benefits as 27 a way to promote healthy choices, and 28 WHEREAS, the USDA has denied every such request, NOW, 29 THEREFORE, 30 31 Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 32 33 That the United States Congress is requested to prohibit 34 recipients of benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition 35 Assistance Program (SNAP), 7 U.S.C. ss. 2011 et seq., from using 36 SNAP benefits to purchase flavored carbonated beverages 37 sweetened with natural or artificia l sweeteners, also known as 38 "soft drinks" and noncarbonated beverages with equivalent 39 nutritional value. 40 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of State dispatch 41 copies of this memorial to the President of the United States, 42 to the President of the Uni ted States Senate, to the Speaker of 43 the United States House of Representatives, and to each member 44 of the Florida delegation to the United States Congress. 45