SNAP BENEFITS: PROHIBIT SOFT DRINKS

An Act relating to removing soft drinks from the food stamp program; and providing for an effective date.

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: SENATORS WIELECHOWSKI, Cronk
Last action: 2025-05-09
Official status: (S) HSS
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Ban Soft Drinks from SNAP Benefits

This bill removes soft drinks from being eligible for purchase with food stamps in Alaska.

What This Bill Does

Defines 'soft drink' as a non-alcoholic beverage that contains natural or artificial sweeteners, but excludes beverages with milk, soy, rice, or other milk substitutes and those containing more than 50% vegetable or fruit juice by volume.
Changes the definition of 'food' in Alaska's food stamp program to exclude soft drinks along with alcoholic beverages and tobacco products.
Requires the Department of Health to request a federal waiver from the USDA for implementing these changes.
Makes the bill effective only if the USDA approves the requested waiver or determines that no waiver is needed by July 1, 2027.

Who It Names or Affects

People who receive food stamps in Alaska will not be able to use their benefits to buy soft drinks.

Terms To Know

SNAP: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, a federal program that helps low-income people buy food.
Waiver: An exception to the rules made by an authority like the USDA to allow states to implement specific changes.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill will only take effect if the USDA approves a waiver or determines that no waiver is needed.
It does not specify what happens if the USDA denies the waiver request.

Bill History

2025-05-09 1201
(S) COSPONSOR(S): CRONK
2025-04-25 954
(S) REFERRED TO HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES
2025-04-25 954
(S) HSS, CRA
2025-04-25 954
(S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS

Official Summary Text

SNAP BENEFITS: PROHIBIT SOFT DRINKS
An Act relating to removing soft drinks from the food stamp program; and providing for an effective date.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SB0186A -1- SB 186
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

34-LS0847\A

SENATE BILL NO. 186

IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA

THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - FIRST SESSION

BY SENATORS WIELECHOWSKI, Cronk

Introduced: 4/25/25
Referred: Health and Social Services, Community and Regional Affairs

A BILL

FOR AN ACT ENTITLED

"An Act relating to removing soft drinks from the food stamp pr ogram; and providing 1
for an effective date." 2
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 3
* Section 1. AS 47.25.990(2) is amended to read: 4
(2) "food" means any food or food product for human consumptio n 5
except alcoholic beverages, soft drinks, and tobacco and includes seeds and plants for 6
use in gardens to produce food for the personal consumption of the eligible household; 7
* Sec. 2. AS 47.25.990 is amended by adding a new paragraph to read: 8
(5) "soft drink" means a nonalc oholic beverage containing natu ral or 9
artificial sweeteners; "soft drink" does not include beverages that contain milk, milk 10
products, soy, rice, or other milk substitutes, or greater than 50 percent vegetable or 11
fruit juice by volume. 12
* Sec. 3. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 13
read: 14
34-LS0847\A
SB 186 -2- SB0186A
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

WAIVER. The Department of Health shall, as necessary for federal approval, submit a 1
request to the food and nutrition service of the United States Department of Agriculture for 2
any waiver necessary to implement secs. 1 and 2 of this Act. 3
* Sec. 4. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 4
read: 5
CONDITIONAL EFFECT; NOTIFICATION. (a) Sections 1 and 2 of this Act take 6
effect only if, on or before July 1, 2027, the United States Department of Agriculture 7
(1) approves the waiver to the state program submitted in accordance with sec. 8
3 of this Act; or 9
(2) determines that approval of the waiver to the state progra m submitted in 10
accordance with sec. 3 of this Act is not necessary. 11
(b) The commissioner of health shall notify the revisor of statutes in writing within 30 12
days after the United States Department of Agriculture approves the waiver to the state 13
program or determines that approval of the waiver is not necessary under this section. 14
* Sec. 5. If secs. 1 and 2 of this Act take effect, they take effect on t he day after the date the 15
United States Department of Agriculture approves the waiver to the state program or 16
determines that approval of the waiver is not necessary. 17