Washington County News

A bill authored by State Rep. Daniel Knodl in the Wisconsin Assembly seeks to restrict FoodShare benefits from purchasing candy and soft drinks by requiring a federal waiver, according to the Wisconsin State Assembly.

According to the Wisconsin State Legislature's official website, the bill was described as follows: "requiring the Department of Health Services to seek any necessary waiver to prohibit the purchase of candy or soft drinks with FoodShare benefits. (FE)".

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill mandates the Wisconsin Department of Health Services to obtain a waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to restrict FoodShare benefits from being used to purchase candy and soft drinks. FoodShare, Wisconsin's version of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, provides food purchasing assistance to low-income households. Currently, federal law outlines eligible food items under this program. This bill seeks to amend those provisions by prohibiting candy and soft drinks if the waiver is approved. Should the initial request be denied, the bill requires the department to resubmit the waiver request annually until approval is secured.

The bill was co-authored by Senator Chris Kapenga (Republican-33rd District), Representative Scott Allen (Republican-82nd District), Representative Elijah R. Behnke (Republican-6th District), Representative Calvin T. Callahan (Republican-35th District), and Representative Barbara Dittrich (Republican-99th District). It was co-sponsored by Senator Rachael Cabral-Guevara (Republican-19th District), Senator Steve L. Nass (Republican-11th District), and Senator Cory Tomczyk (Republican-29th District), along with 12 other co-sponsors.

Daniel Knodl has co-authored or authored another 85 bills since the beginning of the 2025 session, with none of them being enacted.

Knodi, a Republican, was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 2025 to represent the state's 24th Assembly district, replacing previous state representative Paul Melotik.

In Wisconsin, the legislative process starts when a senator, constituent, group, or agency proposes an idea for a bill. After drafting, the bill is introduced, numbered, and referred to a committee for review and public input. If approved, it moves through three readings and votes in both the Senate and Assembly. Once both chambers pass the same version, the bill goes to the governor, who can sign it, veto it, or let it become law without a signature. Only a small share of bills introduced each session ultimately become law. You can learn more about the Wisconsin legislative process here.

Bill Number	Date Introduced	Short Description
AB180	04/15/2025	Requiring the Department of Health Services to seek any necessary waiver to prohibit the purchase of candy or soft drinks with FoodShare benefits. (FE)
AB169	04/08/2025	Various changes to the unemployment insurance law. (FE)
AB134	03/13/2025	The effective date of certain provisions contained in 2023 Wisconsin Act 126
AB123	03/11/2025	Calculation of miles for purposes of relocation of a child 100 miles or more from the other parent in an action affecting the family
AB102	03/03/2025	Designating University of Wisconsin and technical college sports and athletic teams based on the sex of the participants
AB100	03/03/2025	Designating athletic sports and teams operated or sponsored by public schools or private schools participating in a parental choice program based on the sex of the participants
AB75	02/28/2025	Department of Justice collection and reporting of certain criminal case data. (FE)
AB28	02/17/2025	Special registration plates with white lettering on a black background. (FE)
AB5	02/03/2025	Requiring school boards to make textbooks, curricula, and instructional materials available for inspection by school district residents
AB2	02/03/2025	Requiring school boards to adopt policies to prohibit the use of wireless communication devices during instructional time