WASHINGTON \u2014 The Agriculture Department allowed six additional states Monday to bar participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program from using their benefits to buy certain processed foods, such as sodas and candy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The SNAP waivers for West Virginia, Florida, Colorado, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas amend the statutory definition of food for purchase and put an end to the subsidization of popular types of junk food beginning in 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The administration of President Donald Trump has encouraged all states<\/a> to take such measures as part of its \u201cMake America Healthy Again\u201d initiative, named for the social movement led by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The USDA had so far signed waivers to allow six states \u2014 Arkansas, Idaho, Utah,<\/a> Iowa, Indiana\u2002<\/a>and Nebraska<\/a> \u2014 to place similar purchasing restrictions on SNAP recipients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI hope to see all 50 states join this bold commonsense approach. For too long, the root causes of our chronic disease epidemic have been addressed with lip service only,\u201d said the U.S. Food and Drug Commissioner Marty Makary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the additional waivers at an event at the USDA headquarters in Washington.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThese state waivers promote healthier options for families in need,\u201d said Secretary Rollins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n More than 42 million people receive SNAP benefits, sometimes called food stamps, as part of the nation\u2019s largest anti-hunger program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The massive tax cut and spending bill<\/a> signed by President Trump in July makes significant changes to the SNAP program, including expanding work requirements and shifting more spending<\/a> for the program to states.<\/p>\n\n\n\n