(The Center Square) – The Pennsylvania Food Bucks, which would reward SNAP users for buying nutritious options with additional funds to spend on fruits and vegetables, cleared the House on Tuesday.
The program would be overseen by non-profit organizations and provide a minimum of 40 cents per dollar spent on eligible items.
“I thank my colleagues for ensuring that PA families who rely on SNAP have more consistent access to the essential fruits and vegetables needed for balanced nutrition and a healthy life,” wrote Pashinski.
Rep. Emily Kinkead, D-Bellevue, spoke on the House floor in support of the bill, saying that she participated in a SNAP challenge during which she restricted her food to the $6 per day average for SNAP recipients. Without the nutrition she was accustomed to, the lawmaker said she quickly began to feel sick.
For those living with food insecurity, it isn’t just about affordability but access to healthy food. Supporters of the bill are hopeful that the incentive will open the door for grocers and farmers to connect with more people.
“Imagine what a difference that kind of surge in demand for healthy foods could do for our farmers, retailers, and our families,” said Pashinski.
The bill received bipartisan support with a vote of 164-39. Food Bucks programs already exist within the state in certain localities, like Pittsburgh where residents can use food stamps to buy tokens and receive incentives at local farmers markets.
Cuts proposed to SNAP in the federal budget by way of the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’ would cut SNAP by about $300 billion. In addition to reducing federal funding for SNAP, it would reduce enrollment through updates to work requirements and by cutting benefits for some immigrants.
Individual states have also begun to tackle the question of limiting or eliminating certain food items from SNAP eligibility based on nutritional content. Opponents say that it’s unfair to have a separate set of standards for poor people when it comes to purchasing food, and they highlight the lack of options in areas known as “food deserts” that rely on discount retailers and convenience stores for grocery items.
In an Appropriations Committee hearing earlier this year, DHS Secretary Val Arkoosh emphasized that SNAP benefits lead to lower medical costs. She said when someone loses SNAP, the cost to Medicaid goes up by $50 per month per person. For those with chronic health conditions like hypertension, that number rises to a cost of $150 to Medicaid. For those with diabetes, it hits $200 per month.
