Nebraska to ban SNAP purchases of soda, energy drinks under pilot program

Nebraska recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, will be banned from buying soda, soft drinks and energy drinks starting next year under a pilot program announced Monday by Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins.

The pilot program, which will begin in January and last for two years, is the first of its kind in the country, according to Pillen and Rollins. Pillen, through the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, requested the waiver in April.

“Governor, you and your team should be very proud… that Nebraska is the first one we’re signing,” Rollins said after touring Wholestone Farms in Fremont. “Of all of the states, we have had some great states, great conversations, we’ve made a lot of great progress, but I have in my hand here the actual waiver that I will be signing today that puts Nebraska at the front of the pack.”

States can request a waiver to “deviate from specific regulatory provisions” in SNAP if the Food and Nutrition Service determines that “the waiver would result in a more effective and efficient administration of the program.” No other administration, including President Donald Trump's first administration, has approved these waivers in the past.

Pillen said the program would be evaluated for effectiveness during the two-year pilot. Asked how success will be measured, Pillen said there will be a "ton of measurements" within the state's Department of Health and Human Services.

"The great opportunity for us is to see the activity and the embracement of families that say, gee-whiz, you know, I do finally understand pop is not a food group, that pop is not helping my child," Pillen said.

Other states have requested more-restrictive waivers that would ban candy and some other foods and drinks in addition to sodas and soft drinks. Iowa’s waiver request would ban SNAP purchases of kettle corn, fruit leather and juice drinks with less than 50% juice, among other things. A request from Arkansas would add rotisserie chicken to the allowed purchases in addition to banning additional products.

In a statement released after the announcement, Rollins said governors in Colorado, Indiana, West Virginia and Kansas have also expressed interest in a SNAP waiver.

Removing junk food and soda from SNAP eligibility has been a point of contention for decades. Nebraska Appleseed, an advocacy organization, opposed Pillen's requested waiver in April and said restrictions like those requested in the waiver "assume that people with low incomes can't make the right decision when it comes to food purchases." Proponents say allowing SNAP recipients to buy sugary drinks adds to health issues like obesity.

“[SNAP] has, for too long, been used to buy things that are not nutritious for our children and for our younger-income families.” Rollins said. "The number one cost driver in the SNAP program is sugary drinks."

According to a 2016 study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rollins' assertion is correct. The study found that soft drinks are the top commodity by expenditure, representing about 5.4% of total SNAP expenditures. An updated study has not been completed in the past decade.

SNAP, colloquially known as food stamps, provides benefits for low-income individuals and families to buy food. In Nebraska, according to Pillen’s request letter, more than 75,000 households and 152,000 people utilize SNAP benefits.