HB31 • 2026

Public assistance; Department of Human Resources required to request waiver to prohibit the purchase of soda, energy drinks, candy, and processed desserts with SNAP benefits, implementation of prohibition provided for

Agriculture Energy

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Ingram
Last action: 2026-01-13
Official status: Pending Committee Action in House of Origin
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

There is conflicting information between the metadata stating the bill 'Passed Legislature' and reached final enrollment, versus the last action listed as 'Pending Committee Action'. The effective date of October 1, 2026, depends on whether this conflict resolves in favor of full passage.

HB31: Request to Ban Buying Certain Foods with SNAP Benefits

This bill requires the state Department of Human Resources to ask federal officials for permission to stop people from using SNAP benefits to buy soda, energy drinks, candy, and prepared desserts.

What This Bill Does

Requires the Department of Human Resources to request a waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service.
Seeks to remove soda, energy drinks, candy, and prepared desserts from the list of foods allowed for purchase with SNAP benefits.
Mandates that if the federal government approves the waiver, the state must ban these purchases using SNAP funds.
Requires the department to resubmit the request every year if the initial request is denied.

Who It Names or Affects

The Alabama Department of Human Resources
People who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits

Terms To Know

Energy Drink: A drink with at least 65 milligrams of caffeine per eight fluid ounces that is advertised to boost mental or physical energy. This does not include coffee, tea, or drinks mostly made from them.
Prepared Dessert: A sweet food in a package that is ready to eat without cooking and stays good on a shelf for a long time. It includes foods with many additives and few whole ingredients.
Soda: Carbonated water flavored or sweetened with added sugar or artificial sweeteners. This does not include plain sparkling water, drinks that are more than 50% juice, or drinks with less than five grams of added sugar.
SNAP Benefit: A financial benefit from the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program used to buy food.

Limits and Unknowns

The ban on these foods only happens if the U.S. Department of Agriculture grants a waiver.
It is unknown when or if federal officials will approve the request to change SNAP rules.
Although the bill text states an effective date, official status notes indicate it may still be pending committee action.

Bill History

2026-01-13 House
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin
2026-01-13 House
Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Health

Official Summary Text

Public assistance; Department of Human Resources required to request waiver to prohibit the purchase of soda, energy drinks, candy, and processed desserts with SNAP benefits, implementation of prohibition provided for

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB31 INTRODUCED
Page 0
HB31
L5Q4EWY-1
By Representatives Ingram, Butler
RFD: Health
First Read: 13-Jan-26
PFD: 14-Aug-25
1
2
3
4
5
6
L5Q4EWY-1 08/12/2025 GP (L)GP 2025-2439
Page 1
PFD: 14-Aug-25
SYNOPSIS:
This bill would require the Department of Human
Resources to request a waiver from the United States
Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service to
exclude soda, energy drinks, candy, and prepared
desserts from the definition of "eligible food" for
purposes of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
(SNAP) benefits.
If the waiver is granted, this bill would
require the department to prohibit the purchase of
soda, energy drinks, candy, and prepared desserts with
SNAP benefits.
This bill would also require the department to
annually resubmit the request for a waiver if the
request is denied.
A BILL
TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
Relating to public assistance; to require the
Department of Human Resources to request a waiver to exclude
certain food products, including soda, energy drinks, candy,
and prepared desserts, from the definition of "eligible foods"
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
HB31 INTRODUCED
Page 2
and prepared desserts, from the definition of "eligible foods"
for purposes of SNAP benefits; to require the department to
prohibit the purchase of soda, energy drinks, candy, and
prepared desserts with SNAP benefits if the waiver is granted;
and to provide for the resubmission of the request, if the
request is denied.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. (a) For the purposes of this section, the
following terms have the following meanings:
(1) CANDY. A product that involves the preparation of
sugar or artificial sweeteners in combination with chocolate,
fruits, nuts, caramels, gummies, or hard candies or other
ingredients or flavorings in the form of bars, drops, or
pieces.
(2) DEPARTMENT. The State Department of Human
Resources.
(3) ENERGY DRINK. A beverage containing at least 65
milligrams of caffeine per eight fluid ounces which is
advertised as being specifically designed to provide metabolic
stimulation or an increase to the consumer's mental physical
energy. The term does not include coffee or tea or any
substantially coffee or tea-based beverage.
(4) PREPARED DESSERT. A processed, shelf-stable,
ready-to-eat, pre-packaged sweet food intended for immediate
consumption without any further preparation. The term includes
foods mostly made out of chemically modified substances
extracted from foods, along with additives to enhance taste,
texture, appearance, and durability, with minimal whole foods.
(5) SNAP BENEFIT. A financial benefit, coupon, or
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
HB31 INTRODUCED
Page 3
(5) SNAP BENEFIT. A financial benefit, coupon, or
privilege available under the federal Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program, 7 U.S.C. Chapter 51.
(6) SODA. A beverage that is made with carbonated water
and that is flavored or sweetened with added sugar or
artificial sweeteners such as corn sweetener, corn syrup,
dextrose, fructose, glucose, high-fructose corn syrup,
lactose, malt syrup, maltose, molasses, raw sugar, or sucrose.
The term does not include carbonated water that is plain or
naturally flavored or any beverage that is greater than 50
percent vegetable or fruit juice by volume, or that contains
less than five grams of added sugar.
(7) USDA FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICE. The United States
Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service.
(b) The commissioner of the department shall request a
waiver from the USDA Food and Nutrition Service to authorize
the department to exclude soda, energy drinks, candy, and
prepared desserts from the definition of "eligible foods"
under 7 C.F.R. § 271.2.
(c) If the waiver described in subsection (b) is
approved by the USDA Food and Nutrition Service, the
department shall prohibit the use of SNAP benefits for the
purchase of soda, energy drinks, candy, and prepared desserts.
(d) If the waiver described in subsection (b) is
denied, the commissioner shall resubmit the request for a
waiver to the USDA Food and Nutrition Service annually, until
approval is granted.
Section 2. This act shall become effective on October
1, 2026.
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84