Latest news with #HB403
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Utah lawmakers aim to restrict soda from being purchased with food stamps — not candy
This year, the Utah Legislature passed a law aiming to restrict Utahns from using SNAP funds to purchase soda. Here's a look at the law and what it does. HB403, sponsored by Rep. Kristen Chevrier, R-Highland, does not actually ban the purchase of soda with SNAP funds, because states do not have that power; instead, it requires that the state request a waiver from the federal government in order to make the restriction. There has been some confusion over whether the law is also trying to restrict candy as well, but it isn't — HB403 only mentions 'soft drinks.' The first version of HB403 did mention candy, but that part of the bill was removed. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, is often referred to as food stamps. The program 'provides food benefits to low-income families to supplement their grocery budget so they can afford the nutritious food essential to health and well-being,' according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture website. While presenting HB403 during the legislative session, Chevrier stated that soda is the most commonly purchased item with SNAP funds. She added that the purpose of the program was to give people struggling financially 'greater spending power to purchase healthy, nutritious necessities, not to contribute to obesity, anxiety, depression and chronic illness.' There are legislators in other states across the country who, like Chevrier, are looking at health reform through SNAP restrictions. The law defines a 'soft drink' as 'a nonalcoholic beverage that is made with carbonated water and that is flavored and sweetened with sugar or artificial sweeteners.' It also clarifies that ''soft drink' does not include a beverage that contains milk, milk products, soy, rice, or other milk substitutes, or that is greater than 50% vegetable or fruit juice by volume.' SNAP is a national program that is managed by the state, so the state cannot make changes to the program without receiving a waiver from the federal government. HB403 instructs the Utah Department of Workplace Services to submit a request for a waiver that would restrict Utahns from using food stamps to purchase soda. The request will be submitted to the United States Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service. Under the law, the Department of Workforce Service is required to submit a waiver request to restrict people from using SNAP funds to purchase soda by July 1. The waiver request will include a justification that focuses on the health concerns leading to this law, as well as the intended use of SNAP and potential cost savings for taxpayers. The request also has to list strategies for educating SNAP recipients on healthier alternatives, tracking the impact of the restrictions and updating point of sales systems. If the waiver is approved, then the department will have to implement the new restrictions within six months. But, if the waiver is denied, then the department must resubmit the waiver request within three months and continue to resubmit the request annually until it is approved. There are already some restrictions nationally on what can and can't be purchased with food stamps. According to the USDA, those using SNAP funds can purchase: Fruits and vegetables Meat, poultry, and fish Dairy products Breads and cereals Other foods such as snack foods and nonalcoholic beverages Seeds and plants that produce food for the household to eat These items cannot be purchased using SNAP funds: Beer, wine, liquor, cigarettes or tobacco Vitamins, medicines and supplements Live animals Foods that are hot at the point of sale Any nonfood items, including pet foods, cleaning supplies or toiletries
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Lee Zeldin to speak in Utah on 3 key ‘MAHA' bills Monday
U.S. Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin will join Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and top legislative leadership Monday in Salt Lake City to discuss 'Make America Healthy Again' legislation passed this last session. Three new laws on the Utah books will be addressed by these top picks in the health in President Donald Trump's administration who oversee health related issues such as food, drug safety clean water, ground contamination and more. Others slated to be in attendance at a location yet to be announced include House Speaker Mike Shultz, R-Hooper, Sen. Brady Brammer, House Majority Whip Karianne Lisonbee, and Reps. Stephanie Gricius and Kristen Chevrier, R-Highland. Perhaps the most sweeping bill impacting families is HB403, which prohibits the purchase of soda and candy using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP benefits in the state. It requires the state Department of Workforce Services to submit a waiver to the federal government regarding the purchase of those foods with the benefits by July 1. The original purpose of the food stamp program was to give individuals struggling to make ends meet 'greater spending power to purchase healthy, nutritious necessities, not to contribute to obesity, anxiety, depression and chronic illness,' Chevrier said in her introduction of the bill during the session. As soda is the most commonly purchased item with SNAP dollars, Chevrier is joining a wave of legislators in a dozen other states who are looking at health reform through food stamp restrictions. 'There is zero nutritional value in soft drinks or most candy,' Chevrier explained. 'We should also not use tax dollars to subsidize unhealthy food products that will lead to obesity and other physical and mental health outcomes for which the state will likely end up footing the bill.' The Senate sponsor of the measure was Brammer, R-Pleasant Grove. HB402 passed in the 2025 session dealing with food additives in schools. Cox signed the bill March 27 that prohibits schools from offering food that contains seven food dyes as well as potassium bromate and propylparaben. Food dyes, particularly Red Dye No. 40, has been linked to cancer in laboratory tests for decades. The use of synthetic food dyes in general can result in hyperactivity and other neurobehavioral problems in some children. Potassium bromate is a white powder or crystal added to flour but is classified as a potential cancer-causing agent. The Environmental Working Group says it has been banned in several countries, including Brazil, Canada, the European Union and the United Kingdom. Despite health concerns, it is legal for use in the United States and has not been reviewed by the Food and Drug Administration since the early '70s. Its use is pervasive because it makes dough rise higher and strengthens it. EWG says it is found in more than 130 products. Propylparaben comes from the family of parabens, a category of substances used as preservatives, mostly in cosmetics, foodstuffs and medicines. Due to efficiency of action and cost-effectiveness, parabens have become popular in manufacturing several consumer products. They are, however, equally countered by their negative aspects due to potential harmful impacts on human health, which include altered endocrine activity, carcinogenesis, infertility, obesity and hypersensitivity, along with their psychological and ecological effects, according to Science of the Total Environment. They are classified as endocrine-disrupting compounds that can fuel respiratory, cardiac, reproductive, metabolic and carcinogenic issues. The major problems with context to the application of paraben in consumer products are their ability to mimic endogenous hormones, including potential interactions, such as the HER2 pathway, which is crucial for the growth of breast cancer cells. They are widely used as preservatives in common products such as cosmetics, body lotion and even laundry soap — leading to water contamination. Another contentious bill was HB81, sponsored by Gricius, R-Eagle Mountain. With the governor's signature of the measure, Utah became the first state in the country to ban the introduction of fluoride into public drinking water systems. Like food dyes and a host of other potential problematic substances, Kennedy has been a steadfast opponent of the use of supplemental fluoride in water. In a social media post, Kennedy vowed to have fluoride removed from public drinking water systems. The fluoride added to drinking water systems in Davis and Salt Lake counties — approved by voters more than two decades ago — is derived from hydrofluorosidic acid. In its concentrated form it is a waste byproduct derived from phosphate mining operations and contains lead, chromium and arsenic. A federal judge in September concluded its addition to drinking water presented an unacceptable risk to young children due to its impact on neurological development. It has been linked to lower IQ in young children. Gricius' bill leaves open for parents and other consumers the ability to purchase fluoride tablets from a pharmacy without a prescription. When fluoride was first introduced on a massive scale in the United States in public drinking water, it was before it was added to toothpaste and mouthwash. Critics have since complained how easy it becomes to have higher than safe doses of the element when it is added to drinking water. While naturally occurring in water, fluoride in drinking water left a bad taste in the mouth of hundreds of Sandy City residents after an accidental overfeed in 2019. Utah Poison Control records contained in a state summary show it handled 316 cases possibly linked to the fluoride overfeed, with 163 of those cases followed to a known outcome. Fluoride was detected at 40 times the federal limit after the release, and two weeks of free blood testing for lead showed one person with elevated levels, according to Salt Lake County health officials. An independent investigation by a law firm blasted how local government and the state handled their response to the exposure. Dental and medical associations loudly opposed the bill, arguing that fluoridated water systems are the most effective way to prevent dental decay. They lobbied Cox hard to veto the bill, but he signed it March 27.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
RFK Jr. coming to Utah on Monday to talk fluoride, ‘MAHA' bills
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks during a campaign rally for Republican presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump at Macomb Community College on Nov. 01, 2024 in Warren, Michigan. (Photo by) Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is coming to Utah. Utah becomes the first state to ban adding fluoride to drinking water Kennedy — along with Lee Zeldin, administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — will be coming to Salt Lake City on Monday to hold a news conference to discuss 'MAHA legislation' passed by the 2025 Utah Legislature, state officials announced in a news release issued Thursday. That includes HB81, which made Utah the first state in the nation to ban adding fluoride to public water systems. State leaders also called out two other bills they expect to highlight Monday, including HB402, which bans public schools from serving food with certain food dyes in them and other additives, and HB403, which restricts Utahns from using SNAP benefits to purchase candy and soda. Republican Utah lawmakers including House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, are expected to join Kennedy and Zeldin for Monday's news conference. Other lawmakers slated to attend include House Majority Whip Karianne Lisonbee, R-Clearfield; Sen. Brady Brammer, R-Pleasant Grove; Rep. Stephanie Gricius, R-Provo, and Rep. Kristen Chevrier, R-Highland. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Alabama House committee approves bill creating database on suspected gang members
A close-up of police lights. An Alabama House committee last week approved a bill that would create a database of people who law enforcement identifies as being part of a gang. (Getty) An Alabama House committee last week approved legislation to create a database that contains information on people suspected of belonging to a criminal enterprise or gang. The House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee approved HB 403, sponsored by Rep. Russell Bedsole, R-Alabaster, at a March 19 meeting. It requires the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency to create and manage a database of people that law enforcement identify as part of a criminal enterprise or gang. 'The bill includes rolling out the database after five years of no activity so there is no collection of information that is dated and no longer timely and relevant,' Bedsole said during the committee meeting. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The legislation authorizes ALEA to create and maintain the criminal enterprise database based on information by criminal justice agencies. The database would include information about people that law enforcement agencies believe are engaged in criminal conduct. People can be designated as part of a criminal enterprise or gang if they meet at least three criteria listed in statute. Some of the conditions include getting identified by an informant or family member, or if suspects admit to be part of a gang. Other criteria include adopting 'the style of dress of a criminal enterprise.' Law enforcement can also label someone as a member of a gang by adopting 'the use of a hand sign identified as used by a criminal enterprise,' or if a person has 'a tattoo identified as used by a criminal enterprise.' Chris Melde, professor of criminal justice at Michigan State University. said the criteria makes it possible for someone who is not part of a gang to be identified as such. 'You can get a tattoo in the heat of the moment, and they are everlasting unless you go in for a tattoo removal,' he said. 'There are some types of signs and signals that are characteristic of gangs, but they also make their way into popular media.' The association becomes especially problematic when law enforcement rely on one indicator. 'You want to be able to do what is called triangulation of information,' Melde said. 'Multiple sources of information are all identifying the person as a person who is gang involved.' He also said one aspect of the list is collection but there are other considerations. 'You have to have a mechanism in place that either automatically purges that information, or people on the list if there is no more intelligence coming in that they are continuing in gang activity, or people have to go in and manually purge those lists if they become stale,' Melde said. 'It has a list of parameters and safeguards, if you will, that are placed in there,' Bedsole said. The database would not be public, and ALEA may only grant criminal justice agencies access to the information contained in the database. People will be granted access only as part of a court order; for discovery in lawsuit, or if a subpoena is issued. The Alabama Legislature in 2023 approved a bill that created harsher penalties for people who commit specific crimes as part of a network, such as a criminal enterprise or member of a gang. SB 143, sponsored by Sen. Will Barfoot, R-Pike Road,made Class C felonies committed by gang members a Class B felony, raising the maximum punishment from 10 years in prison to 20 years in prison. Class B felonies are enhanced to Class A felonies, punishable by up to 99 years in prison. People convicted of a Class A felony and who are part of a criminal enterprise, face a minimum of 25 years in prison. Lists have consistently been challenged in court because membership in a criminal enterprise, such as a gang, is fluid. There are some core members, but others on the periphery may remove themselves or join over time. Melde said databases need to be purged to keep lists current. 'There have been cases in other states where people just linger on the list and might get caught up in the system where they have had no gang involvement for quite a while,' Melde said. Civil rights groups expressed reservations with the legislation, concerned that people who are not involved in a gang may be given harsher penalties because they are suspected to be associated with gang activity. 'As the Legislature now considers the companion bills HB403 and SB241, which would authorize ALEA to develop a database that would track and share these identifiers with agencies throughout the state, I'd like to see them include information relating to the statute's enforcement, such as how many times has it been utilized?' said Jerome Dees, policy director for the Southern Poverty Law Center. 'What was the disposition of the case? And what are the demographics of the folks being tracked and prosecuted by this statute? Of course, public safety and privacy of sensitive information is incredibly important. But we also want to make sure that enforcement is fair and just.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
How can Utah facilitate DOGE efforts? No soda for SNAP recipients
A man shops for groceries at a Chicago supermarket. Inspired by now confirmed federal Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s views, several states are considering bills to prevent food stamps from being used to purchase candy and soda. () A Republican lawmaker says she's heard legislators ask how Utah can facilitate efforts from the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, Elon Musk's federal task force focused on 'slashing' federal funding. One way Utah can lead, Rep. Kristen Chevrier says, is by creating a pathway for the state to disallow food stamp use for the purchases of soft drinks. A bill from Chevrier, R-Highland, would direct Utah's Department of Workforce Services to request a waiver from the federal government to prohibit the purchase of soda with the use of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. HB403 passed the Utah House of Representatives in a 54-14 vote, along party lines Thursday. Chevrier doubled down on her statements from last week's committee hearing that the Trump administration would welcome this waiver. 'This is a common-sense proposal, one that is being considered by at least a dozen other states this year, and one that will be well received by the Trump administration, but also by anyone who's concerned about the overall health of our nation,' she said. Rep. Carol Moss, D-Holladay, said her concern with the bill surrounded people's dignity and how it discriminates against people who use government assistance. 'I wonder how everyone in this body would handle (it) if we were told we couldn't have a Diet Coke … for a day,' she said. Around $10 million of SNAP funds in Utah are spent on soda, Chevrier added. 'As legislators, we must be concerned both about our stewardship over taxpayer funds and our role in encouraging healthy habits,' Chevrier said. 'We should not force Utahns to eat certain foods, and we are not doing that, but we should also not use tax funds to subsidize choices that don't have nutritional value.' The estimated $10 million spent on soft drinks would not be saving taxpayers money, Chevrier clarified, but could instead be directed towards other foods. HB403 originally would have required the waiver to also seek to ban candy, but a substitute to the bill removed that provision. If the bill takes effect, Utah's Department of Workforce Services would have to submit the waiver by July 1, 2025. Chevrier's bill is part of a push by Republican legislators across the country to align with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s views on healthy living. In a statement, Utah House Democrats said enacting dietary restrictions for SNAP recipients undermines their autonomy and dignity. 'Research shows that such restrictions do not effectively change dietary habits but instead undermine the autonomy and dignity of those relying on SNAP. While this bill claims to promote healthier choices, it imposes restrictions without offering constructive or evidence-based solutions,' House Democrats said. 'Additionally, this legislation will be complicated to implement — requiring costly updates to point-of-sale systems, staff retraining, and compliance monitoring, all without guaranteeing better health outcomes.' The U.S. Department of Agriculture has reported there are questions about the feasibility and effectiveness of restricting the use of food stamp benefits, including a lack of existing standards to define foods as healthy or unhealthy, implementation challenges that could further complicate SNAP, the fact that restrictions might not actually change purchasing habits, and no substantial evidence showing that SNAP benefits directly contribute to poor food choices and negative dietary outcomes. Republican Utah Sen. Mike Lee, in partnership with Republican Alabama Sen. Katie Britt, has introduced legislation that would exclude soft drinks, candy, ice cream and prepared desserts from being purchased with SNAP at the federal level. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
