The South Dakota House of Representatives chamber at the Capitol in Pierre. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)
By: Makenzie Huber
PIERRE, S.D. (South Dakota Searchlight) – Lawmakers in the South Dakota House of Representatives endorsed a bill Wednesday barring the purchase of soft drinks with benefits from a food assistance program.
The House voted 58-11 in favor of House Bill 1056, which would require the state Department of Social Services to submit a federal waiver request to exclude soda from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known by the acronym SNAP or colloquially as food stamps.
SNAP benefits are available to income-eligible families, and can be used to purchase nearly any kind of food or beverage. A waiver from the federal government would allow South Dakota to limit the kinds of food or beverages that can be purchased using the benefits, which are loaded onto cards that function like debit cards.
Eighteen states have been approved for SNAP waivers, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Rep. Taylor Rehfeldt, R-Sioux Falls, introduced the bill. She told lawmakers that the bill would be a “first step in aligning” SNAP with tighter restrictions in the federal Women, Infants and Children nutrition program.
“A taxpayer-funded nutrition program should promote actual nutrition,” Rehfeldt said.
Rehfeldt said SNAP benefits are commonly used to buy sugary sodas and other sweetened drinks that contribute to a host of health problems, among them heart disease, obesity and diabetes.
Since over three-fourths of people who received SNAP benefits in 2022 had their health insurance covered by Medicaid, Rehfeldt said the restriction would save the state on Medicaid costs because patients would be healthier.
Opponents to the bill said the change doesn’t address food insecurity or poor nutrition. Rep. Liz May, R-Kyle, owns a grocery store. She said “banning foods or policing grocery carts” would burden grocery and convenience store owners with costs to adhere to program changes.
“If our goal is better nutrition, we should reward nutritious choices instead of punishing food choices,” May said.
Gov. Larry Rhoden’s office opposed the bill in committee, saying it would cost the state about $500,000 annually to hire three employees and pay a contractor to administer the change to program eligibility.
The bill will head to a Senate committee next.
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