Six More States Join SNAP Reform Push, Ban Junk Food Under Trump’s “Make America Healthy Again” Plan
The movement to overhaul the food stamp system continues to gain momentum as six additional states have received federal approval to ban the purchase of junk food with SNAP benefits. Hawaii, Missouri, North Dakota, South Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee are the latest to join the initiative, bringing the total number of states participating in the “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) reforms to 18.
Under the waivers approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, these states will implement new rules banning the use of food stamps for items like soda, candy, sweetened beverages, and energy drinks. The reforms are scheduled to go into effect in phases beginning in January 2026, with final implementation expected by October of that year.
Sixteen of the eighteen participating states are Republican-led. The only two Democrat-run states to join the reform effort are Colorado and Hawaii. The full list of states now aligned with the MAHA initiative includes: Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, and the newly approved Hawaii, Missouri, North Dakota, South Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee.
All 18 states will prohibit the purchase of soda with SNAP benefits. Several states are also banning candy and other sugary products, including Arkansas, Idaho, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. praised the effort and thanked the governors leading the charge. “We cannot continue a system that forces taxpayers to fund programs that make people sick and then pay a second time to treat the illnesses those very programs help create,” Kennedy said.
USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins emphasized President Trump’s leadership on the issue. “President Trump has made it clear: we are restoring SNAP to its true purpose – nutrition,” she said. “Under the MAHA initiative, we are taking bold, historic steps to reverse the chronic disease epidemic that has taken root in this country for far too long.”
The first wave of implementation begins January 1, 2026, in West Virginia, Utah, Nebraska, Iowa, and Indiana. Missouri will be the last to implement its changes in October 2026.
The MAHA reforms represent one of the most significant shifts in the history of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Rather than allowing unrestricted purchases of unhealthy products, these changes aim to align taxpayer-funded assistance with basic health standards. With support from President Trump and coordination between HHS and the USDA, the push to ban junk food from SNAP is no longer just a policy proposal—it’s becoming a nationwide movement.