Report: State Soda Tax Would Raise $1.7B To Fight Childhood Obesity
A sweetened-beverage tax proposed in a bill (AB 669) by Assembly member Bill Monning (D-Carmel) could generate $1.7 billion annually to fund obesity prevention programs, according to a report by the California Center for Public Health Advocacy, the Contra Costa Times reports.
The report estimated that the tax could generate $233 per student annually. CCPHA based the study on estimates from the California State Board of Equalization.
Bill Details
The legislation would impose a tax of 1 cent per ounce on soda and other bottled beverages with added sweetener.
Revenue generated by the tax would go to various local and state initiatives. For example:
- 35% of the funds would go to school-based efforts to promote nutrition and physical activity;
- 35% would go to community projects aimed at preventing childhood obesity;
- 20% would go to state programs to fight obesity (Vorderbrueggen, Contra Costa Times, 4/21); and
- 10% would go to obesity prevention programs in medical settings (Bill text, 4/7).
Next Steps
The Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing on Monning's legislation on Monday (Anderson, Fresno Bee, 4/20).
Since AB 669 would impose a tax, a two-thirds majority vote in the Legislature would be necessary to pass the bill. GOP lawmakers generally oppose the measure (Contra Costa Times, 4/21).
A similar bill (SB 1210) introduced last year by former Sen. Dean Florez (D-Shafter) did not make it through legislative committees (Fresno Bee, 4/20).
Additional Coverage
Headlines and links to other coverage of the CCPHA report are provided below.
- "California Soda Tax Could Be Lifeboat for Money-Strapped Counties" (Central Valley Business Times, 4/20).
- "Soda Tax Seen as Revenue for Local Schools, Health" (Amaro, Merced Sun-Star, 4/21).
- "Bill Aims To Put Tax on Sodas" (Chalk, Vacaville Reporter, 4/21).
- "Soda Tax Proposal Could Sweeten School Budgets" (Goldeen, Stockton Record, 4/21).
- "Bill Could Bring Millions to Yolo" (Jarvis, Woodland Daily Democrat, 4/21).
- "Tax on Soda Could Benefit Tulare County" (Meeks, Visalia Times-Delta, 4/21).
- "Proposed 'Soda' Tax Disputed" (Woods, Redlands Daily Facts, 4/21).