Six additional states have agreed to restrict what Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients can purchase under new agreements with the Trump administration, bringing the total number of states with such restrictions to 18.
Hawaii, Missouri, North Dakota, South Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee will now prohibit SNAP recipients from buying soda, energy drinks, candy and prepared desserts with their benefits.
U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the move is part of the "Make America Healthy Again" agenda. The federal government is offering extra funding to states that adopt the junk food bans.
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SNAP serves about 42 million Americans each month. The program, formerly known as food stamps, provides monthly benefits to help low-income individuals and families purchase groceries.
The restrictions represent a significant policy shift in how the federal nutrition assistance program operates, with states now having more control over what items can be purchased with benefits.
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