Texas Senate passes bill prohibiting using SNAP benefits for junk food

AUSTIN, Texas – A new bill was passed by the Texas Senate on Monday night that looks to prohibit residents from buying certain junk foods through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

RELATED: Trump officials want to ban junk food from SNAP. Past efforts show it’s not easy to do

An advocacy group called Make Texans Healthy Again (MHTA) praised the move by the Texas Senate in a news release as a way to keep people from using food stamps to buy soda, candy, or other “ultra-processed products with no nutritional value.”

“Health isn’t just about what we eat—it’s about what we don’t eat,” MHTA founder Travis McCormick said in a statement. “This bill aligns SNAP purchases with basic nutrition standards and helps protect our most vulnerable Texans from being trapped in a cycle of poor health and rising healthcare costs.”

SB 379 now heads to the Texas House before it is put before the governor. If passed, the bill would take effect in September 2025.


About the Author
Ahmed Humble headshot

Historian, educator, writer, expert on "The Simpsons," amateur photographer, essayist, film & tv reviewer and race/religious identity scholar. Joined KPRC 2 in Spring 2024 but has been featured in various online newspapers and in the Journal of South Texas' Fall 2019 issue.

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