HF2676: Governor's MAHA Bill

Enacts changes across health-related fields, including mandatory nutrition/metabolic health education for certain medical professionals, major reforms to the certificate of need process for health facilities, requirements for uninterrupted SNAP administration, authorizing ivermectin as an over-the-counter medication, banning certain food additives in school meals, and adopting the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact. It also significantly raises taxes on cigarettes, tobacco, vapor, and consumable hemp products, and creates new excise taxes for vapor and hemp products, directing proceeds to the health care trust fund.

Key Points & Impacts:

• Mandates at least one hour of continuing education in nutrition and metabolic health every four years for physicians and physician assistants in specified fields as a condition of license renewal.

• Reforms the certificate of need (CON) process by striking certain facility and equipment exemptions, revising the application and public hearing process, and modifying limitations on beds for intermediate care facilities for persons with intellectual disabilities.

• Requires the state to continuously administer SNAP in accordance with USDA guidelines, ensuring uninterrupted benefits and defining eligible foods as those considered healthy by the state.

• Allows pharmacies and others to distribute ivermectin for human use without a prescription and protects them from penalties for doing so.

• Prohibits schools (including some charter/nonpublic schools) from serving or selling foods containing specified artificial dyes and additives as part of meal programs, with limited federal exceptions, effective July 2027.

• Enacts the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact, allowing licensed psychologists in member states to practice telepsychology and temporary in-person services across state lines.

• Raises the cigarette tax from 6.8 cents to 10.05 cents per cigarette, increases the tobacco product tax from 50% to 55% of wholesale price, raises the cigar cap to 55 cents, changes snuff tax to 55% of wholesale price (from $1.19/oz), and imposes new excise taxes (15%) on vapor and consumable hemp products.

• Directs all new and increased tax revenues from cigarettes, tobacco, vapor, and consumable hemp products to the health care trust fund.

NOTE: The House HHS Committee took out the cigarette/vaping portions of this bill and will do that in another bill. We'll update the description as soon as a new bill number is assigned.