Texas Rep. Briscoe Cain Plans To Ban People Using Food Stamps From Buying Junk Food

A bill to ban the purchase of sugary drinks and junk food has been proposed by Rep. Briscoe Cain (R), who represents Baytown in the Houston area of Texas. Cain filed the bill in March, and it solely pertains to residents who use food stamps, restricting them from using their government benefits to buy certain items.

If House Bill 4364 is passed, it would go into effect on Sept. 1.

Energy drinks would also be banned as part of the bill, which points to beverages containing at least 65 milligrams of caffeine per eight fluid ounces, or drinks advertised as "being specifically designed to provide metabolic stimulation or an increase to the consumer's mental or physical energy." Coffee or coffee-based beverages are not grouped in with this definition in the bill, reports ABC.

According to a 2014 report from the U.S. Census Burea, Texas has one of the nation's lowest rates of people on welfare. The data showed that in 2012, 1.8 percent of Texas households received benefits through the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program.

“At-risk Texans and families who utilize the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program are often the most susceptible to diabetes and the serious complications associated with it,” Rep. Cain said, as reported by KHOU-11 in Houston.

“HB 4364 seeks to curb the spread of diabetes and other health complications among Texans in at-risk populations by eliminating sugary drinks and snacks from the state’s nutrition assistance program.”