Federal Judge Blocks Bans on SNAP Use for Certain Foods and Drinks
On June 22, 2026, a federal district court ruled that the Trump administration exceeded its legal authority when it approved five state waivers barring participants from buying certain items such as candy and soda through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Judge Amy Berman Jackson ruled that Congress already defined which foods are eligible under SNAP and did not give the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) the authority to remove specific foods from that definition. She said the law allows certain limited experimental projects to study issues such as obesity, but it does not permit the agency to broadly exclude foods from the program. The ruling means the soda restrictions cannot take effect under the authority cited by the USDA. Read more
here.