Overview
- USDA-approved waivers expanded in December clear the way for 18 states to restrict SNAP purchases of soda, candy and other processed items in 2026 with staggered start dates.
- Utah, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana and West Virginia are set to begin restrictions on Jan. 1, while Oklahoma is the only state so far to publish an itemized ineligible list.
- The Agriculture Department has not provided definitive enforcement guidance or a timeline, with a spokesperson saying the agency will issue direction as appropriate.
- Grocers and advocates warn of heavy operational burdens, from point-of-sale reprogramming and staff training to the risk of disqualification for selling a single ineligible item, with as many as 120,000 products potentially affected.
- The broader overhaul also includes tighter ABAWD work-rule exemptions and a shift of about 75% of SNAP administrative costs to states under the One Big Beautiful Bill, alongside a USDA recertification pilot in Minnesota.