Texas SNAP recipients face new restrictions on candy and swe

AUSTIN, Texas -- Shoppers in Texas may begin noticing new signs in grocery stores next to certain food and drink items, alerting Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients to upcoming changes in what their benefits can cover.

Starting April 1, SNAP benefits in Texas can no longer be used to purchase candy or sweetened beverages, according to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. The change is part of the state's "Make America Healthy Again" initiative signed into law last year.

State officials say the restrictions apply to purchases made with Lone Star Cards and will be enforced at checkout systems statewide.

The Texas Health and Human Services (HHS) released guidance for retails on how to comply with Senate Bill 379. Some of their responsibilities include retailers having to determine which items are ineligible, update store purchase systems and processes to stop SNAP transactions of restricted items and train staff to ensure they know only candy and sweetened drinks are restricted.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

Katie Bell, a SNAP recipient, said the new restrictions could create challenges for people with specific medical needs.

"That's where it becomes very frustrating to me, because there's a lot of us with many medical conditions, and we need certain things," Bell said.

Bell said her condition requires her to consume large amounts of electrolyte and sugary fluids to maintain proper blood volume.

"I drink these Karma waters, and a lot of times I'll get my kids Propel or Gatorade or whatever - sports electrolyte drinks - because it's literally medically necessary," Bell said. "Otherwise you can get kind of hypovolemic, where you don't have enough blood volume."

Bell

Under the new rules, items no longer eligible for purchase with SNAP benefits include candy, gum and products such as nuts, raisins or fruit coated in chocolate, yogurt or caramel. Drinks containing five grams or more of added sugar, as well as beverages with artificial sweeteners, are also excluded.

State guidance further defines "sweetened drinks" as nonalcoholic beverages made with water that meet those sugar or sweetener thresholds, while some items including milk-based drinks and beverages with more than 50% fruit or vegetable juice remain eligible.

The restrictions are in addition to longstanding SNAP limits, which already prohibit purchases such as alcohol, tobacco, hot prepared foods and non-food household items.

Celia Cole, CEO of Feeding Texas, said the organization is focused on helping SNAP recipients understand the changes.

CEO of Feeding Texas

"We're really just focused on helping SNAP participants," Cole said.

Cole added that the policy's impact on people with specific dietary or medical needs will be important to monitor.

"I think those are the kind of things that we're going to need to be on the lookout for as we evaluate both the success as well as the potential unintended consequences," Cole said.

If restricted items are purchased using SNAP benefits, the retailer - not the recipient - will face penalties under the new policy.

SNAP

However, it's not clear how the enforcements will work or what the penalties will be.

KVUE reached out to HHS Wednesday to ask about those with underlying conditions and those punishments, but have not yet heard back at the time of publication.

That's where it becomes very frustrating to me, because there's a lot of us with many medical conditions, and we need certain things.

Putting it in context

Announcements set expectations instantly; delivering on them is the slow part, and that delay is where most of the realignment happens.

What to remember

AUSTIN, Texas -- Shoppers in Texas may begin noticing new signs in grocery stores next to certain food and drink items, alerting Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients to upcoming changes in what their benefits can cover
Starting April 1, SNAP benefits in Texas can no longer be used to purchase candy or sweetened beverages, according to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission
State officials say the restrictions apply to purchases made with Lone Star Cards and will be enforced at checkout systems statewide
Katie Bell, a SNAP recipient, said the new restrictions could create challenges for people with specific medical needs
"That's where it becomes very frustrating to me, because there's a lot of us with many medical conditions, and we need certain things," Bell said

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