Six more states will be allowed to restrict what is purchased with Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program benefits.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. revealed that Hawai’i, Missouri, North Dakota, South Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee were granted waivers to “amend the statutory definition of ‘food for purchase'” under the federal program in 2026, per ABC News.
This brings the list of states to 18 to prohibit the purchase of certain items under the Make America Healthy Again initiative.
These states can now amend what the food assistance benefits can be used for at the grocery store by recipients.
“President Trump has made it clear: we are restoring SNAP to its true purpose — nutrition. 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,” Rollins said in the announcement.
“America’s governors are answering that call with courage and innovation, offering solutions that honor the generosity of the taxpayer while helping families live longer, healthier lives. 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,” she added.
Kennedy lauded the governors of the 18 states who are “are leading the charge on SNAP reform to restore the health of Americans — especially our kids.”
“We cannot continue a system that forces taxpayers to fund programs that make people sick and then pay a second time to treat the illnesses those very programs help create,” Kennedy said.
In August, the pair announced restrictions on the purchase “junk food” with SNAP funds in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Colorado, Florida and West Virginia starting in 2026.
Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska and Utah were also granted waivers earlier this year.
