Supporting Healthy Food Choices for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

Formerly known as the Food Stamp Program, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the nation’s largest food assistance program, serving approximately 46 million people. SNAP is reauthorized by Congress pursuant to the Farm Bill and is administered jointly by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and state and local governments.  Under the current version of SNAP, participants can purchase virtually any food or beverage (collectively, food). Research indicates that SNAP recipients may have a worse dietary quality than income-eligible nonparticipants. Policymakers have urged the USDA to pilot SNAP nutrition guidelines intended to support a healthier diet, and state legislators have proposed similar bills. The USDA rejected these invitations, stating that it would be administratively and logistically difficult to differentiate among products, among other concerns. However, the federal government currently designates foods as nutritious for the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children and many states distinguish among food items for taxation purposes. Further, legislators have proposed bills that would designate specific foods as ineligible for purchase with SNAP benefits. This legislative history is rich with workable definitions and administrative achievements that can provide a basis to test SNAP classifications among foods. This presentation will analyze how these bills and laws can inform future policy decisions. It will compare the scope of authority and limitations on the federal, state and local governments’ ability to pilot such changes and identify critical legal opportunities for Congress to revise SNAP to support the health of SNAP recipients.