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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to allowable food purchases under the supplemental |
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nutrition assistance program. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. FINDINGS AND DECLARATION OF POLICY. The |
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legislature finds that: |
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(1) Texans are committed to ensuring the health of |
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families and children and understand the importance of the role |
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preventive health care measures have on population health and the |
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state economy; |
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(2) consuming healthy foods such as fruits, |
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vegetables, whole grains, fat-free and low-fat dairy products, and |
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seafood, and consuming fewer foods with sodium, saturated and trans |
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fats, added sugars, and refined grains, are important preventive |
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health care measures; and |
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(3) tax dollars intended to support a family's access |
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to an adequate and nutritional diet should not be diverted to |
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subsidize the purchase of items of minimal nutritional value. |
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SECTION 2. WAIVER OR OTHER AUTHORIZATION TO ALIGN ALLOWABLE |
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FOOD ITEMS UNDER CERTAIN PROGRAMS. (a) The executive commissioner |
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of the Health and Human Services Commission, the Department of |
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State Health Services, and the Texas Department of Agriculture |
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shall develop and seek a waiver or other appropriate authorization |
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from the United States secretary of agriculture under Section 17, |
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Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. Section 2026), to restrict |
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the purchase of food items with minimal nutritional value under the |
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supplemental nutrition assistance program provided under Chapter |
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33, Human Resources Code, by amending the list of allowable food |
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items under the program to better align that list with the allowable |
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food purchases under the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for |
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Women, Infants and Children established under 42 U.S.C. Section |
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1786 and the national free or reduced-price lunch program |
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established under 42 U.S.C. Section 1751 et seq. |
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(b) As soon as practicable after the effective date of this |
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Act, the agencies described by Subsection (a) of this section shall |
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apply for and actively pursue the waiver or other authorization as |
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required by that subsection. |
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SECTION 3. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect |
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immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members |
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elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas |
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Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for |
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immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |