PR: Texas Senate Passes SNAP Reform Bill to End Taxpayer Subsidies for Soda and Candy

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, April 1, 2025

AUSTIN, TX — Late Tuesday night, the Texas Senate passed Senate Bill 379, authored by Senator Mayes Middleton, which prohibits the use of SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits to purchase soda, candy, and certain ultra-processed products with no nutritional value.

Make Texans Healthy Again (MTHA) applauds this commonsense legislation that prioritizes the health of vulnerable Texans and protects taxpayers from funding products that contribute to obesity, diabetes, and other chronic diseases.

“Health isn’t just about what we eat—it’s about what we don’t eat,” said Travis McCormick, founder of Make Texans Healthy Again. “This bill aligns SNAP purchases with basic nutrition standards and helps protect our most vulnerable Texans from being trapped in a cycle of poor health and rising healthcare costs. It’s a major win for prevention, public health, and fiscal responsibility. Thank you, Senator Mayes Middleton, for your leadership on this issue.”

The bill made national headlines after a lobbyist for the American Heart Association testified in opposition. That testimony sparked outrage from public health advocates, legislators, and even Joe Rogan, who highlighted the contradiction on his podcast. The American Heart Association has since retracted its opposition to the legislation. 

With Medicaid costs having tripled in the last two decades, SB 379 reflects a growing bipartisan effort to shift toward prevention and nutrition-based policy.

The bill now heads to the Texas House, where companion legislation has already been filed. MTHA urges lawmakers to act swiftly to send this landmark reform to the Governor’s desk.

Make Texans Healthy Again is an advocacy organization focused on advancing state-level policies that prioritize prevention, improve nutrition and fitness, and promote transparency, affordability, access, and freedom in healthcare and insurance.

Learn more and join the movement at MakeTexansHealthyAgain.com