Nutrition First Act of 2026

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.R. 7580 Introduced in House (IH)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 7580 To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to prohibit the purchase of nutritionally deficient foods with supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES February 13, 2026 Mrs. Luna introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to prohibit the purchase of nutritionally deficient foods with supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Nutrition First Act of 2026''. SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS. Section 3 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2012) is amended-- (1) in subsection (k) by striking ``food or food product'' each place it appears and inserting ``eligible food'', and (2) by inserting after subsection (k) the following: ``(k-1) `Eligible food' means a food or beverage that meets nutritional standards established by the Secretary of Agriculture, excluding the following: ``(1) A sugar-sweetened beverage commonly known as soda, or a nonalcoholic beverage containing sugar, cane sugar, corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, honey, or other caloric sweetener, excluding-- ``(A) a beverage containing milk or a milk substitute; ``(B) a beverage with more than 50 percent fruit or vegetable juice; and ``(C) a product requiring preparation before consumption. ``(2) A candy preparation consisting of sugar, honey, or other sweeteners combined with chocolate, fruit, nuts, or other ingredients in bar, drop, or piece form, excluding items containing flour or requiring refrigeration. `