No Free Soda For Food Stamp Users, State Rep. Says

TALLAHASSEE, FL — Floridians who receive food stamps will no longer be allowed to purchase soft drinks with their benefits if a state lawmaker gets his way. State Rep. Ralph Massullo filed a bill to ban the use of food stamps for the purchase of carbonated beverages last week.

Whether the Republican from Lecanto, who also happens to be a dermatologist, will get his way remains to be seen. In order for the ban to go into place, the state’s Department of Children and Families would have to obtain a waiver from the federal government to prohibit the use of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program proceeds for soft drink purchases.

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Massullo’s bill effectively directs Florida’s DCF to request the federal waiver and to continue to do so each year “until a waiver is granted.” The bill defines a “soft drink” as a “flavored carbonated beverage that is sweetened with natural or artificial sweeteners.”

Should the bill bubble up to Gov. Rick Scott’s office, it would become law on July 1, 2018. How soon lawmakers might act on the proposal is unclear. The regular session doesn’t begin until January.

To read the bill’s full text, visit the Florida House online.

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