Texas Senate Votes to Ban Junk Food Purchases with SNAP: What This Means for Low-Income Families

HOUSTON – A new bill in Texas is making waves, aiming to change how SNAP recipients can use their benefits. This legislation would stop people from buying junk food with SNAP funds.

Senate Bill 379, known as the “Make Texas Healthy Again Bill,” recently passed in the Texas Senate and is now awaiting attention in the House. Authored by Sen. Mayes Middleton, the bill seeks to prohibit purchases of snacks like chips, cookies, candy, sodas, and energy drinks. Middleton believes this move could lower healthcare costs funded by taxpayers due to health issues linked to poor diets. Supporters think it will help tackle rising obesity rates and health problems tied to bad nutrition.

According to Middleton, “Taxpayer-funded junk food turns into taxpayer-funded healthcare.” He raised a notable statistic: over 20% of SNAP spending goes to these unhealthy choices.

Currently, more than 3 million Texans depend on SNAP to help with food costs. Though advocates say the bill encourages healthier eating, critics highlight concerns about its effects on communities that lack easy access to fresh or nutritious foods. “In rural areas, just like urban areas… there is no accessibility. Food deserts are real,” said Sen. Borris Miles, who worries about the bill’s potential negative impacts.

On the other hand, Middleton noted that most SNAP vendors must offer healthy options. He also mentioned that another program, the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program, already has restrictions on unhealthy food purchases.

If SB 379 clears the House, it still needs federal approval to become law. For now, Texas SNAP recipients have the same purchasing options. However, if this bill proceeds, shopping trips could take on a new look for those using assistance.

Surveys show that nearly two-thirds of Americans support restricting junk food purchases with food assistance funds. This trend reflects a growing awareness of nutrition’s impact on health. As conversations continue around the bill, many wonder how it would reshape food accessibility and choices for those in need.

For more insights, check out this report on the implications of such legislation from GovTrack.

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