Jessica Spillers

There are several things about this bill that concern me. First, it dehumanizes people who are already going through challenging times by dictating what they can/cannot buy with their general SNAP benefits. How many of us would not make it through the workday without our 2 PM Diet Coke? If the only thing holding that single mom together is her can of soda, I say let her have it. There is no reason for any of us to be involved in the choices she makes at the grocery store. Second, the administrative burden this would put on an already small State staff is too great—and some of it would have to be funded through the State. For example, Part II(c) “Establish[es] an education and outreach program to help SNAP recipients make healthy food choices.” We had a program like this—it was called SNAP-Education and run through a contract with UNH-Cooperative Extension. Unfortunately, the One Big Beautiful Bill eliminated federal funding for this program in its entirety nationwide. The State no longer has this program according to the OBBA, and would be required to foot the bill ourselves. It was a million dollar program with 24 staff. I fully support this program, but doubt the State has the funding capacity or will to do it properly. Lastly, this bill would put a burden on retailers and small businesses to adapt current systems to further differentiate between allowable and non-allowable items, creating an environment in which some may to choose to stop accepting SNAP benefits in their entirety rather than go through the rigamarole of defining what is or is not “junk food.”