Resolve, To Require the Department of Health and Human Services To Request a Waiver To Prohibit the Use of Food Supplement Benefits for the Purchase of Taxable Food Items
Maine Legislature, Session 126, LD 1411
Committee Amendment CA_A_S308 (Senate)

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "h" to S.P. 505, L.D. 1411, "Resolve, To Require 
the Department of Health and Human Services To Request a Waiver To Prohibit the Use 
of Food Supplement Benefits for the Purchase of Taxable Food Items" 
Amend the resolve by striking out the title and substituting the following: 
'Resolve, To Reduce Hunger alnd Increase Access to Healthy Foods by Participants 
in the Food Supplement Program' 
Amend the resolve by striking out everything after the title and before the summary 
and inserting the following: 
'Preamble. Whereas, 15<Yo of Maine households, or approximately 200,000 Maine 
people, suffer from food insecurity and that number has increased in recent years; and 
Whereas, Maine ranks 7th in the nation and first in New England for the percentage 
of population with very low food security; and 
Whereas, Maine ranks first in New England for child food insecurity, with nearly 
one in every 4 children being food insecure; and 
Whereas, the state-administered federal food supplement program referred to as the 
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, is the first line of defense against 
hunger and under-nutrition, boosting food security and health benefits; and 
Whereas, according to tht~ United States Department of Agriculture, the American 
diet is far from optimal and aCI;;ess to fresh fruits and vegetables is particularly difficult 
for people with low income; and 
Whereas, research shows that education and incentives that promote healthy eating 
address poor dietary habits and obesity, decrease hunger and improve health; and 
Whereas, the United States Department of Agriculture now provides educational 
grant opportunities and other initiatives to facilitate the use of SNAP benefits at farmers' 
markets and community-supported agriculture projects, but Maine is not fully utilizing its 
share of these funds; and 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
.... 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to S.P. 505, L.D. 1411 
Whereas, the United States Department of Agriculture provides opportunities for 
states to use evidence-based strategies in SNAP nutrition education programs to address 
obesity and encourage the purchase of healthy foods with SNAP benefits; and 
Whereas, it is critical that the State bring together experts to advise the Legislature 
on opportunities to maximize new opportunities provided through SNAP nutrition 
education; now, therefore, be it 
Sec. 1. The Commissioner of Health and Human Services to convene a 
work group; duties. Resolved: 
That the Commissioner of Health and Human 
Services shall convene a work group to perform the following duties with relation to the 
state-administered federal food supplement program referred to as the Supplemental 
Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP: 
1. To examine ways to reduce food insecurity and improve the health of SNAP 
beneficiaries by increasing access to and the affordability of healthy food options; 
2. 
To increase the effectiveness of projects funded through the federal SNAP 
nutrition education and other state and federal resources to increase healthy eating 
demonstration projects and nutrition education strategies; 
3. To maximize new opportunities provided by the Federal Government to address 
the critical problem of obesity, broaden collaborative efforts and provide a wider range of 
evidence-based intervention strategies focused on low-income persons and families; 
4. To identifY new opportunities to expand nutrition education and work with food 
pantries in areas with high concentrations of low-income families; and 
5. To maximize opportunities for SNAP participants to purchase fresh fruits and 
vegetables and other local foods, using incentives that promote healthy purchases; and be 
it further 
Sec. 2. Work group membership. Resolved: That the work group created 
under section 1 must include nutrition education practitioners; academic and research 
communities; anti-hunger organizations, food pantries and soup kitchens; nonprofit 
advocacy organizations representing the interest of low-income citizens of the State; the 
agricultural community; farmers' markets; and the Department of Health and Human 
Services, including state SNAP education administrators and the Women, Infants and 
Children Special Supplemental Food Program staff. The work group must be convened 
within existing resources; and be it further 
Sec. 3. Report and recommendations. Resolved: That the Commissioner of 
Health and Human Services shall report the fmdings and recommendations of the work 
group created under section 1, including, but not limited to, evidence-based strategies to 
ensure that the State is maximizing educational and other opportunities to incentivize and 
promote healthy eating and access to healthy food for low-income citizens of the State, to 
the Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services by January 15,2014.' 
SUMMARY 
This amendment is the majority report and amends the bill by replacing it with a 
requirement that the Commissioner of Health and Human Services convene a work group 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A.. "to S.P. 505, L.D. 1411 
to consider strategies, educational opportunities and other initiatives to reduce food 
insecurity, promote healthy eating habits and improve access to fresh fruits and 
vegetables and local foods through farmers' markets and community-supported 
agriculture by recipients of bend its under the state-administered federal food supplement 
program known as SNAP. The commissioner is required to report the work group's 
findings and recommendations to the Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human 
Services by January 15,2014. 
FISCAL ~OTE REQ 1'I RED 
~~e.e B:ttached} 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 06117 /13 
~aC!. 
LD 1411 
LR 2048(03) 
Resolve, To Require the Department of Health and Human Services To Request a Waiver To Prohibit 
the Use of Food Supplement Benefits for the Purchase of Taxable Food Items 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment-A:' ~ 
_ ~ 
'\ 
Committee: Health and Human Services 
l ~ 
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Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Minor cost increase - General Fund 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Any additional costs to the Department of Health and Human Services are assumed to be minor and will be absorbed 
within existing budgeted resources. 
LR2048(03) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1