Federal Judge Vacates SNAP ‘Junk Food’ Restrictions In Five States

A federal judge vacated U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) approval of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) pilot programs in five states that would have limited the types of foods eligible for purchase with SNAP benefits. Specifically, the pilots would have prohibited SNAP benefits from being used to purchase foods and beverages each state classified as "junk food," non-nutritious items like soda and candy. The court ruled that USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins misapplied federal law in approving the state pilot requests. The ruling applies to Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, Tennessee, and West Virginia.

The plaintiffs in Aragon et al. v . . .