Wisconsin Legislative Council
AMENDMENT MEMO
One Ea st Ma in Stre e t, Suite 401 • Ma dison, W I 53703 • (608) 266-1304 • le g.council@le gis.wisconsin.gov • http://www.le gis.wisconsin.gov/lc
Memo published: February 19, 2024 Contact: Steve McCarthy, Senior Staff Attorney
2023 Senate Bill 948 Senate Amendment 1
2023 SENATE BILL 948
Senate Bill 948 requires the Department of Health Services (DHS), through a competitive selection
process, to contract with one or more nonprofit organizations to administer a healthy food incentive
program statewide using redirected general purpose revenue funding that had been appropriated to a
healthy eating incentive pilot program.
Under the bill, the healthy food incentive program must provide to any food stamp program recipient
that uses benefits at an eligible retailer participating in the healthy food incentive program a monetary
amount up to the amount of food stamp program benefits used at the eligible retailer for the purpose of
purchasing fruits and vegetables from the eligible retailer.
A nonprofit organization that administers the program must prioritize including in the healthy food
incentive program eligible retailers that source fruits and vegetables primarily from growers in
Wisconsin, and DHS may establish a maximum amount of benefits that may be matched per day for a
food stamp program recipient.
The bill also specifies that DHS allocate no more than 25 percent of the funding available for the healthy
food incentive program to program development, promotion of and outreach for the program, training,
data collection, evaluation, administration, and reporting, and must allocate the remainder of the
funding available to the eligible retailers participating in the healthy food incentive program under this
subsection.
The bill requires that DHS seek any available federal matching moneys from the Gus Schumacher
Nutrition Incentive Program to fund the healthy food incentive program under this subsection.
Lastly, the bill requires that DHS must submit an annual report to the Legislature regarding
implementation of the program, including data collected relating to funding and participation and any
other information necessary to evaluate the program.
SENATE AMENDMENT 1
The amendment adds two provisions relating to the administration of the healthy food incentive
program by a nonprofit organization selected by DHS. Specifically, any such organization must
establish a timeline for expiration of matching monetary amounts provided for the purchase of fruits
and vegetables under the healthy food incentive program such that a matching monetary amount
expires no later than one year after it is provided. Additionally, any nonprofit organization
administering the program must ensure that matching amounts provided under the program that are
unused and expire remain with the nonprofit organization and, upon expiration, are available for use to
provide matching amounts to other food stamp recipients under the program. - 2 -
BILL HISTORY
Senator Ballweg offered Senate Amendment 1 on February 13, 2024. On February 16, 2024, the Senate
Committee on Health recommended adoption of the amendment, and passage of the bill, as amended,
on votes of Ayes, 5; Noes, 1.
For a full history of the bill, visit the Legislature’s bill history page.
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