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H0903 • 2026

PUBLIC ASSISTANCE – Amends existing law to revise certain definitions relating to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

PUBLIC ASSISTANCE – Amends existing law to revise certain definitions relating to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
HEALTH AND WELFARE COMMITTEE
Last action
2026-03-25
Official status
H Health/Wel
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

PUBLIC ASSISTANCE – Amends existing law to revise certain definitions relating to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

PUBLIC ASSISTANCE – Amends existing law to revise certain definitions relating to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

What This Bill Does

  • PUBLIC ASSISTANCE – Amends existing law to revise certain definitions relating to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-25 Idaho State Legislature

    Take bill off General Orders; referred to Health & Welfare

  2. 2026-03-20 Idaho State Legislature

    Read second time; Filed for Third Reading

  3. 2026-03-20 Idaho State Legislature

    U.C. to be placed on General Orders, no objection

  4. 2026-03-19 Idaho State Legislature

    Reported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation, Filed for Second Reading

  5. 2026-03-16 Idaho State Legislature

    Introduced, read first time, referred to JRA for Printing

  6. 2026-03-16 Idaho State Legislature

    Reported Printed and Referred to Health & Welfare

Official Summary Text

PUBLIC ASSISTANCE – Amends existing law to revise certain definitions relating to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
LEGISLATURE
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IDAHO
Sixty-eighth
Legislature
Second
Regular
Session
-
2026
IN
THE
HOUSE
OF
REPRESENTATIVES
HOUSE
BILL
NO.
903
BY
HEALTH
AND
WELFARE
COMMITTEE
AN
ACT
1
RELATING
TO
PUBLIC
ASSISTANCE;
AMENDING
SECTION
56
-
275,
IDAHO
CODE,
TO
RE
-
2
VISE
THE
DEFINITIONS
OF
CANDY
AND
SODA;
AND
DECLARING
AN
EMERGENCY
AND
3
PROVIDING
AN
EFFECTIVE
DATE.
4
Be
It
Enacted
by
the
Legislature
of
the
State
of
Idaho:
5
SECTION
1.
That
Section
56
-
275,
Idaho
Code,
be,
and
the
same
is
hereby
6
amended
to
read
as
follows:
7
56
-
275.
WAIVER
TO
ENHANCE
NUTRITION
IN
THE
SUPPLEMENTAL
NUTRITION
AS
-
8
SISTANCE
PROGRAM.
(1)
For
the
purposes
of
this
section:
9
(a)
"Candy"
means
a
shelf
-
stable
preparation
of
sugar,
honey,
or
other
10
natural
or
artificial
nutritive
or
nonnutritive
sweeteners
in
combina
-
1
1
tion
with
chocolate,
fruits,
nuts,
or
other
ingredients
or
flavorings
,
12
in
the
form
of
bars,
drops,
or
pieces.
"Candy"
shall
not
include
any
13
preparation
containing
flour
and
shall
require
no
requiring
refrigera
-
14
tion
.
or
any
of
the
following:
15
(i)
Baked
goods
such
as
cookies,
cakes,
muffins,
and
brownies;
16
(ii)
Baking
ingredients
such
as
sprinkles,
chocolate
melting
17
wafers,
toffee
bits,
chocolate
chips,
etc.;
18
(iii)
Savory
or
nonsweet
snacks
such
as
chips,
pretzels,
and
19
crackers;
20
(iv)
Fruit
snacks
made
with
real
fruit,
including
fruit
puree
and
21
fruit
juice
concentrate,
such
as
dried
mango,
apple
chips,
and
22
fruit
leathers;
23
(v)
Trail
mix
and
products
that
list
peanuts
or
tree
nuts
as
the
24
first
ingredient;
25
(vi)
Granola
bars,
breakfast
bars,
snack
bars,
protein
bars,
meal
26
replacement
bars,
and
weight
loss
bars;
or
27
(vii)
Items
used
as
ingredients
in
baking
such
as
sugar,
honey,
and
28
baking
chocolate.
29
(b)
"Soda"
means
any
nonalcoholic
beverage
that
contains
natural
or
ar
-
30
tificial
sweeteners.
"Soda"
does
not
include
any
beverages
that
:
31
(i)
contain
Contain
milk
or
milk
substitutes
,
;
32
(ii)
that
are
Are
greater
than
fifty
percent
(50%)
vegetable
juice
33
or
fruit
juice
by
volume
,
;
34
(iii)
or
that
require
Require
preparation
before
consumption,
35
such
as
powders
or
concentrates
.
;
36
(iv)
Are
sports
drinks
used
for
hydration;
37
(v)
Are
used
as
an
oral
rehydration
electrolyte
solution
formu
-
38
lated
to
prevent
or
treat
dehydration;
or
39
(vi)
Are
manufactured
as
a
source
of
necessary
nutrition
or
di
-
40
etary
supplement.
41

2
(2)
The
director
of
the
department
of
health
and
welfare
shall
request
a
1
waiver
from
the
United
States
department
of
agriculture
to
exclude
candy
and
2
soda
from
the
definition
of
eligible
foods
under
7
CFR
271.2.
If
such
waiver
3
is
granted,
then
the
director
shall
prohibit
the
purchase
of
candy
and
soda
4
with
benefits
provided
through
the
supplemental
nutrition
assistance
pro
-
5
gram.
If
no
such
waiver
is
granted,
then
the
director
shall
request
such
a
6
waiver
annually
until
such
waiver
is
granted.
7
SECTION
2.
An
emergency
existing
therefor,
which
emergency
is
hereby
8
declared
to
exist,
this
act
shall
be
in
full
force
and
effect
on
and
after
9
July
1,
2026.
10