Overview
- Texas will block SNAP purchases of candy, gum and sweetened drinks on April 1, 2026, affecting about 3.3 million recipients, with exemptions for milk, milk substitutes and beverages with more than 50% fruit or vegetable juice.
- Ohio won USDA approval this week to prohibit sugary carbonated beverages, with the change scheduled for Oct. 1, 2026, using ingredient-list thresholds such as sugar or corn syrup listed first or second.
- Kansas said its USDA-approved waiver will remove candy and soft drinks from SNAP eligibility starting Feb. 15, 2027, relying on definitions in state tax law that exclude items with flour and drinks with at least 50% juice or milk content.
- USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins signed new waivers on March 4 extending restrictions to Nevada and Wyoming, bringing the total to 22 states piloting limits that largely target soda and candy with state-specific definitions.
- Implementation remains a major hurdle as retailers update point-of-sale systems and training, with South Dakota estimating at least $310,000 to pursue a soda ban after the governor signed a bill directing the state to seek a federal waiver.