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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
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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