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Regular Session, 2010
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON NO. 150
BY REPRESENTATIVE WILLIAMS
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON
To direct the Department of Social Services to assess efforts to date in Louisiana to promote
healthy food choices among recipients of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program (SNAP) benefits, and to collaborate with certain stakeholders to develop a
report to the House and Senate committees on health and welfare addressing findings
and recommendations for enhancing the nutrition and health of SNAP participants.
WHEREAS, the incidence of obesity and overweight have reached epidemic
proportions in this state; and
WHEREAS, nationally, Louisiana has the eighth-highest rate of adult obesity and
seventh-highest rate of overweight and obese youths ages ten to seventeen; and
WHEREAS, from 1990 to 2008 the obesity rate among the general population of this
state increased from twelve and three tenths percent to thirty and seven tenths percent,
ranking Louisiana fiftieth in the nation in this statistic as documented in the 2008 United
Health Foundation "America's Health Rankings" study; and
WHEREAS, obesity and overweight are associated with increased risk for costly
chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, osteoarthritis, and some cancers;
and
WHEREAS, in "Louisiana's Report Card on Physical Activity and Health for
Children and Youth" of 2009, the Pennington Biomedical Research Center gave this state
a grade of "D" for the overall health status of children and a grade of "F" for the prevalence
of overweight and obese children; and
WHEREAS, many leading researchers believe that childhood obesity is fast
becoming the greatest public health challenge in America; and
WHEREAS, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) of the United
States Department of Agriculture (USDA) was formerly known as the Food Stamp Program ENROLLEDHCR NO. 150
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and remains the nation's major source of food and nutrition support for low-income families,
helping over fifteen million households to buy food each month and helping to feed over
thirty-five million Americans each month; and
WHEREAS, SNAP is administered in Louisiana by the Department of Social
Services (DSS) and will deliver approximately one billion two hundred million dollars in
benefits to citizens of this state in the current fiscal year; and
WHEREAS, Louisiana is projected to spend approximately sixty million dollars in
state funds on the administration of SNAP in the current fiscal year; and
WHEREAS, in an average month, over three hundred twenty-three thousand
households and over seven hundred seventy thousand persons in Louisiana receive SNAP
benefits; and
WHEREAS, SNAP benefits may not be used to purchase nonfood items, alcohol, or
tobacco; and
WHEREAS, except for foods which are hot at the point of sale, SNAP benefits may
be used to purchase all foods and nonalcoholic beverages intended to be consumed at home,
including items which are high in unhealthy fats, sugars, sodium, and artificial ingredients
and which have little nutritional value; and
WHEREAS, low-income Louisiana families who depend on SNAP for basic support
are especially vulnerable to poor health outcomes; and
WHEREAS, poor health diminishes the potential of many of this state's low-income
children, negatively affects the overall quality of life in this state, and represents a threat to
the financial viability of this state due to the upward spiral of health care costs associated
with treating conditions which could have been prevented through better childhood nutrition;
and
WHEREAS, in May 2009, elected and appointed Louisiana officials jointly
transmitted correspondence to the secretary of the USDA urging that agency to adopt policy
changes in SNAP which would improve the health of those dependent on this program; and
WHEREAS, many concerned citizens and leaders in Louisiana possess a
longstanding and sincere commitment to advancing any effort which would help this state
to dramatically improve the health of its most vulnerable populations. ENROLLEDHCR NO. 150
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THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
direct the Department of Social Services to conduct a study which assesses efforts
undertaken to date in Louisiana to promote healthy food choices among recipients of
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that DSS shall engage, collaborate with, and obtain
information and perspective from stakeholders in developing the study. Such stakeholders
shall include but not be limited to a representative of the Pennington Biomedical Research
Center and a representative of the Louisiana Beverage Association.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that DSS shall produce a report from this study effort
which shall include recommendations for improvement and broader support of effective
practices in promoting the purchase of healthy foods among SNAP recipients.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that on or before September 1, 2010, DSS shall
submit the report to the House Committee on Health and Welfare and the Senate Committee
on Health and Welfare.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a suitable copy of this Resolution be transmitted
to the House Committee on Health and Welfare and the Senate Committee on Health and
Welfare.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATI VES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE