Nebraska has become the first state in the nation to prohibit the purchase of sodas and energy drinks with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins signed the first waiver to amend the definition of food available for SNAP. The waiver will take effect in January 2026.
“Today’s waiver to remove soda and energy drinks from SNAP is the first of its kind, and it is a historic step to Make America Healthy Again,” Rollins said. Under President Trump’s leadership, I have encouraged states to serve as the ‘laboratories of innovation.’ Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen and Governors in Iowa, Arkansas, Indiana, Kansas, West Virginia, and Colorado are pioneers in improving the health of our nation.”
Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen (R) said there is “absolutely zero reason for taxpayers to be subsidizing purchases of soda and energy drinks. SNAP is about helping families in need get healthy food into their diets, but there’s nothing nutritious about the junk we’re removing with today’s waiver.”
Pillen called the waiver a “tremendous step” in supporting the health of the state. “We have to act because we can’t keep letting Nebraskans starve in the midst of plenty.”
Before the waiver, SNAP recipients were able to purchase all items except “alcohol, tobacco, hot foods, and personal care products,” a statement from the USDA explained.
The waiver supports the effort to Make America Healthy Again, the USDA said, noting that prediabetes “affects one in three children ages 12 to 19; 40% of school-aged children and adolescents have at least one chronic condition; and 15% of high school students drink one or more sodas daily.”
