SNAP food restriction waivers

A sign in a H-E-B store indicating Texas SNAP restrictions on beverages and candy

SNAP food restriction waivers allow U.S. states to restrict what can be purchased with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.[1] These waivers are approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) and most include items such as soda and candy.[2]

Background

In 2025, the Trump administration encouraged governors to request waivers to limit the purchases of soda and processed food using SNAP benefits.[3] Without states requesting waivers, such a restriction would need Congress.[4]

State waivers

The following states have received waivers:[2]

State Date requested Date obtained Targeted start date SNAP coverage exemptions Ref
Arkansas April 2025 June 2025 July 1, 2026 Candy, soda, <50% natural fruit and vegetable juices, energy drinks, "unhealthy drinks" [5][6]
Colorado[a] May 2025 August 4, 2025 October 30, 2026 Soft drinks [8][9]
Florida August 4, 2025 April 20, 2026 Candy, soda, energy drinks, prepared desserts [9]
Hawaii April 1, 2027 Soft drinks
Idaho June 2025 February 15, 2026 Candy, soda [10]
Indiana May 2025 January 1, 2026 Candy, soft drinks [11]
Iowa[a] May 2025 January 1, 2026 "All taxable food items as defined by the Iowa Department of Revenue except food producing plants and seeds for food producing plants". [12]
Kansas February 15, 2027 Candy, soft drinks
Louisiana May 2025 August 4, 2025 February 18, 2026 Candy, energy drinks, soft drinks [13][9]
Missouri September 2025 February 15, 2027 Candy, prepared desserts, "unhealthy beverages" [14]
Montana September 30, 2026 Candy, energy drinks, high-sugar beverages, prepared desserts
Nebraska[a] May 2025 January 1, 2026 Soda, energy drinks, soft drinks, candy (from November 1, 2026) [15]
Nevada February 1, 2028 Candy, sugar-sweetened beverages
North Dakota September 1, 2026 Candy, energy drinks, sweetened beverages
Ohio October 1, 2026 Fountain drinks, sugar-sweetened beverages
Oklahoma July 2025 August 2025 February 15, 2026 Candy, soft drinks
South Carolina August 31, 2026 Candy, energy drinks, soft drinks, sweetened beverages
Tennessee[a] July 31, 2026 Processed foods and beverages, including candy, energy drinks, and soda
Texas August 4, 2025 April 1, 2026 Sweetened drinks and candy [9]
Utah June 2025 January 1, 2026 Soft drinks [16]
Virginia October 1, 2026 Sweetened beverages
West Virginia[a] August 4, 2025 January 1, 2026 Soda [9]
Wyoming February 1, 2027 Sweetened, carbonated beverages

Mississippi requested a waiver in October 2025.[17] In March 2026, Wisconsin enacted a law requiring itself to seek a federal waiver to prohibit Food Share (the Wisconsin SNAP program) benefits' use to purchase candy or soft drinks.[18] As of June 2026, neither state has been granted a waiver according to the USDA's site.[2]

Policy debate

Anti-hunger advocates argue that research suggests SNAP users buy no more soda or junk food than other low-income Americans, and that banning those items can reduce choice and dignity for people receiving relatively small daily benefits ($6 a day)[4] while creating stigmatization and confusion on the rules at checkout.[19]

Trade associations representing grocery retailers and beverage manufacturers argue that such bans could be difficult and expensive to implement at the point of sale, and that the policy overstates the role of soft drinks in obesity compared to other factors.[1]

Supporters of the waivers, including Trump administration officials and some public-health advocates, argue that excluding soda, candy and other sugary products would better align SNAP with the program's nutrition goals and could help reduce diet-related disease.[15]

Litigation

In March 2026, Reuters reported that five SNAP recipients sued USDA in federal court over the waivers. According to the lawsuit, the plaintiffs argued that the restrictions destabilized food access, created confusion at checkout, and exceeded USDA's legal authority. The suit sought to invalidate the approved waivers.[20]

On June 22, 2026, U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson ruled in favor of the plaintiffs and blocked the waivers in Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, Tennessee, and West Virginia. Jackson held that USDA lacked authority to approve waivers that narrowed the statutory definition of "food" under SNAP, and that the agency failed to follow required administrative procedures, including public notice requirements for pilot projects with significant public impact.[7]

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Currently blocked by ruling of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. See Litigation.[7]

References

  1. 1 2 "In Approving Soda Ban for Food Stamps, U.S.D.A. Reverses Decades of Policy". 2025-05-20. Retrieved 2025-11-17.
  2. 1 2 3 "SNAP Food Restriction Waivers".
  3. ↑ "Trump administration urges states to limit what can be bought with food stamps". Reuters. Archived from the original on 2025-04-11. Retrieved 2025-11-17.
  4. 1 2 "Trump officials want to ban junk food from SNAP but past efforts show it's not easy". PBS News. 2025-02-19. Retrieved 2025-11-17.
  5. ↑ Mitchell, George "Clay". "Arkansas SNAP waiver aims to eliminate sugary foods, add rotisserie chicken". Southwest Times Record. Retrieved 2025-11-18.
  6. ↑ Cook, Kenneth (2025-06-14). "USDA Approves Governor Sanders' Waiver Banning Soda and Candy from Arkansas SNAP Program". Batesville Tribune. Retrieved 2025-11-18.
  7. 1 2 Mulvihill, Geoff (June 23, 2026). "Judge rules government can't stop SNAP dollars from buying candy and sugary drinks". Associated Press. Retrieved June 23, 2026.
  8. ↑ Bartiromo, Michael. "Colorado among states looking to ban soda, snack purchases for SNAP recipients".
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 Fields, Ashleigh (2025-08-05). "Trump administration allows six more states to bar SNAP benefits for processed food". The Hill. Archived from the original on 2025-09-24. Retrieved 2025-11-18.
  10. ↑ Palermo, Angela (June 11, 2025). "Idaho wins OK to ban residents from using food stamps to buy soda, candy". Idaho Statesman.
  11. ↑ Gay, David (May 23, 2025). "USDA signs Indiana SNAP waiver, removing soft drinks, candy from state program".
  12. ↑ Keicher, Natasha (May 22, 2025). "Gov. Reynolds' waiver to limit eligible food under SNAP approved".
  13. ↑ "Louisiana seeks waiver to ban candy, soft drinks purchases with SNAP benefits • Louisiana Illuminator". Louisiana Illuminator. Retrieved 2025-11-17.
  14. ↑ Ruch, Amber (2025-09-29). "State leaders send waiver request to USDA to change Missouri's SNAP Program". www.kfvs12.com. Retrieved 2025-11-18.
  15. 1 2 Fields, Ashleigh (2025-05-20). "Nebraska banning soda, energy drinks from SNAP under first federal waiver". The Hill. Archived from the original on 2025-07-25. Retrieved 2025-11-17.
  16. ↑ McKellar, Katie (2025-06-11). "Utah SNAP ban on soda gets green light, along with 'MAHA' waivers for Idaho, Arkansas • Utah News Dispatch". Utah News Dispatch. Retrieved 2025-11-18.
  17. ↑ Staff, WLBT (2025-10-31). "Gov. Reeves requests waivers to ban the purchase of unhealthy food using SNAP benefits". www.wlox.com. Retrieved 2025-11-17.
  18. ↑ Wagtendonk, Anya van; Wagtendonk, Anya Van (2026-03-25). "Wisconsin has a new food assistance law, with a MAHA-inspired provision". WPR. Retrieved 2026-04-16.
  19. ↑ "Restriction vs. incentives: The complex reality of SNAP food policies | News | University of Michigan School of Public Health | Nutrition | Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program | Food Policy | Nutritional Sciences". sph.umich.edu. Retrieved 2026-04-17.
  20. ↑ Stempel, Jonathan (March 11, 2026). "US sued by food stamp recipients over restrictions on sugary drinks, candy".
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