Little Rock, Arkansas – Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders has officially submitted a waiver to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) requesting permission to ban the purchase of soft drinks and candy with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, commonly known as food stamps. The move, announced Thursday, is a central piece of Sanders’ broader initiative to reshape food policy in Arkansas and encourage healthier dietary choices among low-income families.
“President Trump and his administration have put a laser focus on solving America’s chronic disease epidemic and reforming our food stamp program is a great place to start,” said Governor Sanders. “Banning soft drinks and candy from food stamps will remove some of the least-healthy, most-processed foods from the program and encourage low-income Arkansans to eat better. Arkansas leads the nation in common-sense, conservative reforms and I was proud to work with Secretary Rollins to make this move and take a strong first step toward broader changes to our food stamp program.”
According to the waiver proposal, Arkansas would also allow rotisserie chicken—a low-cost, high-protein item previously excluded from SNAP eligibility—to be purchased with benefits. To execute the changes, the state plans to rely on the GS1 US food categorization system to help identify and manage eligible products more efficiently.
Targeting Diet-Related Disease Through Reform
The Department of Human Services expressed strong support for the plan, emphasizing the health benefits it could bring to tens of thousands of Arkansans.
“Helping Arkansans improve their health is a top priority for our agency across all programs, and encouraging people to use their SNAP benefits for healthier foods is an important step that we believe will be truly beneficial to the people we serve. This reform will put more nutritious options on the tables of more than 100,000 households across Arkansas who receive SNAP benefits every month. We are eager to implement these changes, and appreciate Gov. Sanders’ leadership and USDA Secretary Rollins’ support as we work to better the health of our entire state,” said DHS Secretary Kristi Putnam.
The proposal comes amid rising concern about the long-term effects of poor nutrition. SNAP is a $119 billion federal initiative meant to provide supplemental nutrition assistance to America’s lowest-income households. However, federal estimates indicate that roughly 23% of all SNAP dollars—about $27 billion annually—are spent on sugary drinks, candy, and other processed snacks.
In Arkansas, where approximately one-third of the population lives with diabetes or pre-diabetes, the state sees a clear link between sugar-heavy diets and chronic health conditions. Citing Stanford research, the waiver highlights that a ban on sugary drinks alone could prevent obesity in 141,000 children and Type 2 diabetes in 240,000 adults across the country.
Supporting Broader Efforts to Fight Hunger and Improve Health
The waiver is just one part of a larger strategy by Governor Sanders to combat food insecurity and chronic disease in Arkansas. Earlier this year, she signed SB59 into law, which guarantees free breakfast for every student in the state. The law also redirects Medical Marijuana tax revenue to sustain summer nutrition programs and ensure the availability of school lunches and breakfasts moving forward.
Sanders also committed to continuing the Summer EBT program, which fed 260,000 Arkansas children last year, and signed legislation that expanded access to free lunches for students who previously only qualified for reduced-price meals.
The USDA waiver request, which was mailed this week, initiates a 30-day public comment period in Arkansas. Governor Sanders had previously announced her intent to pursue these SNAP reforms in December 2024. If approved, the changes could significantly reshape how food benefits are used in Arkansas and serve as a potential model for other states considering similar reforms.
