SNAP rules are set at the federal level, but states across the country are pushing for more control over what benefits can buy. In 2025, that fight has centered on requests to block soda, candy, and similar products, with Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, and West Virginia among the states seeking changes through the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
States are formally asking USDA to change SNAP purchase rules
On May 19, 2025, Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced that Arkansas had submitted a waiver to the USDA to prohibit SNAP purchases of soda and candy, according to the governor’s office. The same announcement said the state also wants rotisserie chicken to qualify for purchase with SNAP benefits.
Arkansas is not alone in 2025. Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen said in April 2025 that Nebraska had requested a similar federal waiver, and Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds said her state was also seeking to restrict some foods purchased through SNAP, according to those states’ public announcements.
The key fact is that states cannot make these changes on their own. USDA oversees SNAP nationwide, and any state restriction on covered foods must be approved by the federal government before it can take effect.
What this means in the states now
For now, SNAP shoppers in Arkansas and other states named in these proposals can still buy the same federally allowed items they could before the waiver requests were filed. No statewide ban on soda or candy has taken effect in Arkansas as of the date of the state’s announcement on May 19, 2025.
What is confirmed is that several governors have publicly backed these requests in 2025. What is not yet known is whether USDA will approve any of them, when a decision might come, or whether the final restrictions would use the same definitions for products like candy, soft drinks, or sweetened beverages.
The states have not released one national template for how every restriction would work. That means shoppers, grocers, and convenience stores are still waiting for details on enforcement, product lists, and any timeline for implementation.
Why the SNAP food fight is growing
Supporters of the waivers have framed the issue around nutrition and public health. In Arkansas, Sanders said on May 19, 2025 that SNAP should better match the program’s nutrition goals, while her administration pointed to high rates of diet-related disease in the state.
The debate has been going on for years. USDA rejected similar state waiver efforts in earlier administrations, including requests from states such as Maine and Minnesota, based on concerns about complexity, cost, and inconsistent treatment of SNAP households, according to prior federal records and agency statements.
For customers, the practical takeaway is simple right now. SNAP rules have not changed in these states yet, and purchases remain governed by current federal standards unless USDA approves a waiver, a step that has not been publicly confirmed for any of these 2025 requests.
