State or Local Mandated Nutritional Labeling


ISSUE: Does Florida need to require nutritional labeling on food products.

DISCUSSION: While nutrition is a topic of great concern, federal law requires nutritional labeling on a broad array of food products sold in retail outlets. There has been no suggestion that the current federal laws are inadequate or not functional. Additionally, when food is processed and packaged, there is no way of knowing where that particular food product or package is destined. Consequently, a workable federal law is preferable to a patchwork of state or local laws.

POSITION: The Florida Retail Federation will oppose any local or state effort to mandate nutritional labeling on food products.

Federal Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP)


ISSUE: Federal Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP)

DISCUSSION:Two bills restricting federal Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits are working their way through the legislative process.

The bills are SB-1658 by Senator Ronda Storms and HB- 1401 by Rep. Scott Plakon. The Senate bill was approved on Wednesday by the Senate Children, Family and Elder Affairs Committee which Sen. Storms chairs. It has two more committee stops in the Senate. The House version is scheduled to be heard on Monday by the House Health and Human Services Access Subcommittee. It also has two more stops after that hearing.

These bills will ban recipients from using electronic benefit transfer cards to get cash benefits outside of Florida, purchase alcohol or tobacco products, access ATM’s located in adult entertainment or gambling establishments or use SNAP benefits at restaurants.. In addition, these bills provide a list of places in Florida where recipients can’t get cash benefits by using their EBT card at an ATM. These bills also make the Department of Children and Family Services add certain foods regarded as unhealthy to the items that recipients can’t buy under the SNAP program.

POSITION: The Florida Retail Federation opposes these bills as currently written.

RELATED BILLS
SB 1658 Relating to Public Assistance, Storms
HB 1401 Relating to Public Assistance, Plakon

UPDATES
2/3/2012
As mentioned last week, there are two bills pending which would restrict federal Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP.) This week, the House version, HB 1401 by Rep. Plakon, was heard on Monday by the House Health and Human Services Access Subcommittee. It ran into serious legislative opposition and barely passed on an 8-6 vote. Rep. Plakon has indicated that he will address most of the concerns. We are awaiting drafts of the new language. It has two more committee stops before it can go to the House floor. The Senate version, SB 1658 by Sen. Ronda Storms has not been heard in the senate since its initial committee hearing last week. We will keep working on these bills to either amend them so that they are acceptable to retailers or to defeat them.

2/10/12
One of the two bills restricting federal Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), SB 1658 by Sen. Ronda Storms, was approved this week by the Senate Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human Services Appropriations on a close 4-3 vote. It was amended to add language related to “Food Deserts.” It has one more committee stop, the Budget Committee, before it goes to the floor.

The House version, HB 1401 by Rep. Scott Plakon, will be heard on Monday by the House Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee. It also has one more committee stop before it is ready to be heard on the House floor. We are working with other affected parties to amend these bills to eliminate the onerous language or defeat them outright.

2/17/12
The House bill dealing with the federal Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), HB 1401 by Rep. Scott Plakon, was heard on Monday by the House Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee where it was amended to eliminate onerous language related to restrictions of food that can be purchased with SNAP benefits. As it is currently written, it now restricts the places where the benefits can be accessed through ATM's, such as Internet Cafes and adult entertainment establishments. We now have no remaining issues with this version of the bill. It has one more committee stop before it goes to the House floor. The other bill, SB 1658 by Sen. Ronda Storms, was not heard this week. It has one more committee stop, the Budget Committee, before it goes to the floor.

2/24/12
HB 1401 by Representative Scott Plakon, the House bill dealing with the federal Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), was approved by the Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee this past Monday. It is now in a form that is acceptable to us and available for floor action. The Senate version, SB 1658 by Senator Ronda Storms, has not moved in over two weeks. We are still watching this bill even though it has had no action.

3/9/2012
On the final night of the Session, the FRF team continues to keep a watchful eye on HB 1401 and SB 1658, which deal with the federal Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP). While we have been able to amend the House bill in committee to make it relatively harmless to Florida retailers, the Senate version will need to be amended before it passes to ensure that it is not detrimental to retail grocers. As of Friday afternoon, the Senate sponsor has filed an amendment to address our concerns, so we currently expect this bill to pass in a form we can accept.

John Rogers, Lead Lobbyist

Senior Vice President & General Councel
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

John is the Federation's General Counsel. He serves as the Federation's chief lawyer. He also represents the Federation before the Florida legislature and state regulatory agencies and is responsible for managing the Florida Retail Foundation and the Florida Retail Masters leadership development program.

Grocery Updates