U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced that six additional states – Hawaii, Missouri, North Dakota, South Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee – received waivers allowing them to restrict what can be purchased with food stamps.
These states join 12 others already granted permission to implement restrictions on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) purchases.
The big picture: The restrictions commonly include banning the use of food stamps for items such as soft drinks, candy, and energy drinks.
- The administration’s push for these changes is part of the “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) agenda, spearheaded by Rollins and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
- Rollins and Kennedy have encouraged states to adopt such restrictions and work together on revising policies to improve public health nutrition.
- States granted waivers are given priority for a new $50 billion rural health fund established by the Trump administration, according to Mehmet Oz, director of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
What we’re watching: The new guidelines – the first update under the MAHA initiative – will be released in January and are expected to recommend limiting highly processed and sugary foods for all Americans.
- The USDA will dedicate $700 million to regenerative agriculture projects, encouraging farmers to adopt conservation practices that improve soil health.
