LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders today submitted a waiver to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announcing her plan to ban soft drinks and candy from Arkansas’ Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also referred to as food stamps.

“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.”

“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 Department of Human Services Secretary Kristi Putnam.

In addition to banning soft drinks and candy from food stamps, this waiver also requests the addition of rotisserie chicken – an affordable, healthy protein source – to the list of eligible SNAP benefits. The State plans to use the GS1 US food categorization system to implement these policy changes.

Food stamps are a $119 billion federal program designed to supplement the lowest-income Americans’ nutritional needs. However, about 23% of food stamp spending – $27 billion annually – now goes toward soft drinks, unhealthy snacks, candy, and desserts. One-third of Arkansans have diabetes or pre-diabetes.

Studies have consistently shown the link between the overconsumption of sugary, highly processed foods like soft drinks and candy and chronic diseases like obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension. One study from Stanford found that just banning sugary drinks from food stamps could prevent obesity in 141,000 kids and Type 2 diabetes in 240,000 adults.

The Sanders Administration is working across the board to eliminate food insecurity. Earlier this year, Governor Sanders signed SB59 into law, providing every student in Arkansas with free school breakfast. The legislation also repurposes Medical Marijuana tax revenue to ensure both Summer EBT and Arkansas’ free lunch and breakfast programs are fully funded into the future.

Governor Sanders previously announced Arkansas will continue its Summer EBT program this year after serving 260,000 last summer. The Governor previously signed legislation to provide free school lunches for students who previously qualified for reduced-price meals.

Sanders mailed Arkansas’ waiver to USDA today, opening up a 30-day public comment period in Arkansas. She previously announced her intent to pursue this waiver in December, 2024.

A copy of the waiver is here and a copy of the Governor’s letter accompanying the waiver is here.