WASHINGTON, D.C. (KAIT) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins signed Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ waiver banning candy and soft drinks from Arkansas’ Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
This waiver will prevent Arkansans from using food stamps to purchase candy and sugary drinks, according to the news release.
The waiver excludes these items from SNAP spending:
- Soda
- Low and no-calorie soda
- Fruit and vegetable drinks with less than 50% natural juice
- Other unhealthy drinks
- Candy
It will take effect on July 1, 2026, and use the GS1 U.S. food categorization system to determine foods. Sanders submitted the waiver in April.
“This approval sends a clear message: President Trump and his administration are tackling America’s chronic disease epidemic, and Arkansas stands with him in that fight,” said Gov. Sanders. “I am incredibly grateful for Secretary Rollins’ quick approval of our waiver. Arkansas leads the nation in getting unhealthy, ultra-processed foods off food stamps and helping our most vulnerable citizens lead healthier lives.”
Gov. Sanders joined Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and other state governors from Indiana, Idaho, Utah, Iowa, and Nebraska in signing the legislation.
The waiver aligns with President Trump’s and Kennedy’s ‘Make America Healthy Again’ agenda.
“The Trump Administration is unified in improving the health of our nation. America’s governors have proudly answered the call to innovate by improving nutrition programs, ensuring better choices while respecting the generosity of the American taxpayer. Each waiver submitted by the states and signed is yet another step closer to fulfilling President Trump’s promise to Make America Healthy Again,” said Secretary Rollins.
Rollins called on other governors in the U.S. to submit waivers eliminating sugary drinks from SNAP, claiming they “fuel the chronic disease epidemic.”
Food stamps are a $119 billion federal program designed to supplement the nutritional needs of low-income Americans. According to the news release, 23% of food stamp money is spent on unhealthy food like soda, candy, and desserts, and one-third of Arkansans have diabetes or pre-diabetes.
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