PUBLIC ASSISTANCE – Amends existing law to revise certain definitions relating to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

This bill would update Idaho's legal definitions of candy and soda to exclude certain healthier items like baked goods, fruit snacks, and sports drinks from those categories. It requires the state health and welfare director to request a federal waiver to prevent SNAP benefits from being used to purchase candy and soda as currently defined. If the federal waiver is approved, the state would prohibit using SNAP benefits for those items; if not, the state must request the waiver again each year. The changes would directly affect how food assistance benefits are managed and which items recipients can buy with their benefits.