SNAP junk-food purchase restrictions take effect July 1 in Arkansas — See what other states have bans
FILE - Sign at supermarket entrance with text reading We Welcome EBT customers and a SNAP logo in Lafayette, California, November 13, 2025. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)
Arkansas is implementing restrictions on food purchases by SNAP recipients and banning them from using their taxpayer-funded food assistance benefit to purchase junk food, joining other states too.
What we know:
This month, Arkansas joined Indiana, Utah, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, and Florida to enact waivers prohibiting the purchase of certain foods through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.
The new restrictions vary by state, but most will restrict the purchase of soda, energy drinks, and candy.
Several other states: Hawaii, South Carolina, North Dakota, Missouri, Montana, Ohio, and Virginia will also be implementing restrictions in 2026. Kansas and Wyoming will implement restrictions in 2027 and Nevada in 2028.
Five other states — Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, Tennessee, and West Virginia, had planned to implement restrictions, but on June 22, a federal judge sided with plaintiffs from the states, who argued the restrictions would undermine their access to food. The judge's ruling blocked the Trump administration’s ban preventing food stamp recipients in five states from using their benefits to buy sugary foods and drinks.
Dig deeper:
The banning of junk food from SNAP purchases is part of the Trump administration’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) initiative.
What they're saying:
"Under the MAHA initiative, we are taking bold, historic steps to reverse the chronic diseases epidemic that has taken root in this country for far too long," said Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins.
"Thank you to the 18 governors who are leading the charge on SNAP reform to restore the health of Americans—especially our kids. Their courageous leadership is exactly what we need to Make America Healthy Again," said Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
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By the numbers:
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) oversees the SNAP program, which in fiscal year 2024 cost just over $100 billion, providing an average of $190.59 a month per person to over 42 million people.
The federal government sends SNAP funds to states which administer applications and determine eligibility based on federal guidelines. Benefits are loaded on prepaid cards through the Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) system and beneficiaries use the cards at stores to pay for their groceries.
The Source: Information in this article was provided by the US Department of Agriculture and previous FOX Television Stations reporting. This story was reported from Orlando.