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Related video above: In 2024, federal lawmakers engaged in discussions over the potential benefits and drawbacks of imposing these SNAP restrictions.
(NEXSTAR) – A growing movement is gaining traction across the United States, aiming to prohibit SNAP recipients from using their benefits to purchase items such as soda, candy, and energy drinks. This initiative has seen four additional states receive waivers from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Services, allowing them to impose such restrictions on sugary drinks and snacks bought with SNAP funds.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is designed to aid low- and no-income Americans by providing them with a debit card preloaded with a monthly benefit to purchase groceries. While there are existing limitations on SNAP benefits—prohibiting the purchase of items like alcohol and tobacco—there is a push to extend these restrictions to include what are considered “non-nutritious” food items.
Currently, 22 states are either implementing or planning to implement additional restrictions on grocery items like soda and candy. Just in the past month, Kansas, Nevada, Ohio, and Wyoming have taken steps to introduce new limitations, reflecting a growing trend to encourage healthier food choices among SNAP recipients.
Now, 22 states have additional restrictions in effect or in the works for grocery items deemed “non-nutritious,” like soda and candy. Kansas, Nevada, Ohio and Wyoming have all moved to add new restrictions in the past month.
But those states’ new rules won’t go into effect for several months or even years.
Four states are ready to start cracking down next month. New restrictions take effect in April in Colorado, Florida, Texas and West Virginia.
Colorado and West Virginia’s new rules ban the purchase of soda or soft drinks with SNAP benefits. Florida goes further, also banning the purchase of energy drinks, candy and prepared desserts. Texas SNAP recipients will no longer be able to buy candy or any sweetened drinks that contain more than 5 grams of added sugar or any artificial sweeteners.
Virginia was also originally slated to start enforcing new restrictions in April, but has pushed back its target implementation to October, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. West Virginia had also set an original target date of Jan. 1, 2026, for implementation but told retailers they have until April 1 to fully comply.
“With these new waivers, we are empowering states to lead, protecting our children from the dangers of highly-processed foods, and moving one step closer to the President’s promise to Make America Healthy Again,” USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins said in a press release.
But critics of the restrictions say it puts unnecessary restrictions on the poorest in America.
“It’s an opportunity to say you’re doing something, while really just stigmatizing a single group of people for choices that everybody in America really makes,” Chris Bernard of Hunger Free Oklahoma told Nexstar’s KFOR.
SNAP, formerly the Food Stamp Program, helps approximately 1 in 8 Americans afford groceries.
There are other existing bans on how people can spend their benefits, regardless of where they live. Non-food items (like soap or paper products), alcohol, tobacco, vitamins, medications, and hot foods are all already off limits in every state.