Exempts the retail sale of food from state and local sales and use tax

HB 1418 proposes to exempt the retail sale of food from all state and local sales and use taxes starting January 1, 2025. The bill defines "food" strictly as items eligible for purchase with SNAP benefits, while explicitly excluding prepared foods sold by restaurants and similar establishments where such sales make up more than 80% of total revenue. This change would remove the current one percent tax on grocery items that was set to expire at the end of 2024. The legislation directly affects consumers purchasing eligible food products and the businesses that sell them.