KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

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SB186 • 2026

SNAP BENEFITS: PROHIBIT SOFT DRINKS

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

Agriculture
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

The bill does not specify what happens if the federal government denies the request after July 1, 2027; it only states that Sections 1 and 2 take effect 'only if' approval is granted or deemed unnecessary by that date.

Alaska SB 186: Removing Soft Drinks from SNAP Benefits

This bill changes Alaska law to stop people from using food stamp benefits to buy soft drinks, but only if the federal government approves a special waiver or says one is not needed by July 2027.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the legal definition of 'food' in the state program to exclude soft drinks and tobacco products.
  • Defines a 'soft drink' as any nonalcoholic beverage with natural or artificial sweeteners, excluding milk-based drinks, soy, rice, other milk substitutes, and juices over 50 percent fruit or vegetable content.
  • Requires the Department of Health to ask the U.S. Department of Agriculture for permission (a waiver) if needed to make these changes.
  • Sets a deadline of July 1, 2027, for federal approval before the new rules can start.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People in Alaska who receive SNAP food benefits
  • The Department of Health

Terms To Know

SNAP
A federal program that gives money for buying food, often called the food stamp program.
Waiver
Special permission from a higher authority to change standard rules or laws.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The new rules do not start unless the U.S. Department of Agriculture approves them by July 1, 2027.
  • If federal approval is denied after that date, this bill does not take effect.
  • The exact date the ban starts depends on when the federal government makes its decision.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-09 1201

    (S) COSPONSOR(S): CRONK

  2. 2025-04-25 954

    (S) REFERRED TO HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES

  3. 2025-04-25 954

    (S) HSS, CRA

  4. 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