SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 22

(By Senator Stollings, Laird, Kirkendoll, Miller,

Palumbo and Plymale)

[Originating in the Committee on Health and Human Resources]

Urging the United States Congress to amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to address the issue of stipulations of the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program in relation to encouraging the program to allow purchases of healthy food items and to discourage fraud.

    Whereas, The Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program is a beneficial federal program which provides federal funds to the state in the effort of relieving the financial burden of purchasing food for those who qualify; and

    Whereas, The purchase of certain food items is not conducive to living a healthy lifestyle; and

    Whereas, One of the most critical challenges facing our state is reducing obesity as West Virginia has one of the highest obesity rates in the United States. Its implications for our health, our medical care system, our state’s budget and our communities are profound; and

    Whereas, West Virginia was ranked as one of the worst states with heart-related illness according to the American Heart Association, has one of the highest rates of diabetes in the United States and has one of the poorest ratings of oral health in the country; and

     Whereas, West Virginia and other states are precluded from taking action to limit SNAP purchases for unhealthy foods and beverages and from providing incentives for the purchase of fresh fruits and vegetables until the United States Congress addresses the issue within the Department of Agriculture concerning their Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program by altering the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008; and

    Whereas, In addition to the nutrition problem, fraud and abuse of the SNAP system is rampant; and

    Whereas, Both beneficiaries who sell their SNAP benefits for cash online and retailers who receive fraudulent PIN numbers and collect funds cost the program millions of dollars; and

    Whereas, In the last ten years, more than eight thousand retailers have been disqualified for participating in fraud, and in the last year alone, more than forty-four thousand individuals have been disqualified thanks to state government investigations; therefore, be it

    Resolved by the Senate:

    That the Senate hereby urges the United States Congress to amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to address the issue of stipulations of the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program in relation to encouraging the program to allow purchases of healthy food items and to discourage fraud; and, be it

    Further Resolved, That the Senate urges the United States Congress to take up the issue to adopt SNAP regulations that would prohibit the use of SNAP moneys to purchase unhealthy food items and to allow states to provide incentives for SNAP dollars spent on healthy fruit and vegetables; and, be it

    Further Resolved, That the Senate encourages the United States Congress to enact legislation that requires greater controls on required identification, including photographs on SNAP benefit cards, for the use of SNAP benefits in an effort to thwart fraud and abuse; and, be it

    Further Resolved, That the Clerk is hereby directed to forward a copy of this resolution to the Majority Leader of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives and each member of West Virginia's congressional delegation.