The head of the Department of Human Services says there are logistical problems with proposals to ban the use of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits for junk food.

Research has consistently shown that soft drinks are the items most commonly purchased with SNAP benefits.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved 18 waivers from states barring the use of SNAP benefits for junk food or soda but what’s banned varies by state.

“This is something that we have been keeping a really close eye on in terms of what is going on in other states,” Human Services Secretary Val Arkoosh said in a Wednesday budget hearing.

Legislation to implement a similar junk food ban for SNAP beneficiaries has been proposed by Republican lawmakers but has not moved.

“Nationwide, nearly 10% of food stamp dollars are spent on sugary drinks each year, with another $600 million spent on candy and prepared desserts,” Sen. Michele Brooks, R-Mercer, said in a cosponsor memo for Senate Bill 1057, which was introduced in October. “Research has shown that high sugar, and ultra-processed diets contribute to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, inflammation, and other chronic, preventable conditions that disproportionately impact low-income communities. In children, these products are linked to developmental problems, attention deficits, and poor academic and behavioral performance.”

The bill was referred to the Health and Human Services Committee, which Brooks chairs. But the committee has not yet voted on the bill.

What is becoming clearer as other states have moved to ban junk food and soft drinks is that the ban can be confusing and difficult to implement.

One point of contention: What exactly is junk food?

In Indiana, the president of the Indiana Retail Council cited Rice Krispie Treats as an example of a product that many people would consider to be candy, but could also be deemed a cereal bar that is permissible under a junk food ban.

Arkoosh cited coffee drinks as another example. Some SNAP junk food bans allow coffee drinks if they contain cream but don’t otherwise allow them, she said.

Ban variations in other states

West Virginia has a waiver barring the use of SNAP benefits to buy soda, a ban that excludes carbonated water, as long as it’s not sweetened or flavored. Virginia bans “sweetened beverages,” but that prohibition also doesn’t cover drinks that contain milk or milk products and/or mineral water.

State officials around the country say the federal government’s move to allow states to dictate what’s allowed, or not, creates a mishmash of policies and store operators are expected to enforce the bans and risk being booted from the SNAP program if they don’t sufficiently enforce them.

“Now, Tennessee’s grocery and convenience stores are tasked with implementing significant changes to the federal SNAP program — with minimal guidance and no funding,” Rob Ikard, the group’s president and CEO told The Tennessee Journal.

Ikard said larger grocery chains will be better equipped to adjust their point of sale systems to handle the change. Smaller stores may have more difficulty, he said.

Arkoosh said that the issue will be even more complicated in areas close to state borders.

“Anybody on the border who had people shopping, first, they’d have to see: ‘Are you from West Virginia or Pennsylvania?’ And then they would have to make sure that they didn’t buy anything depending on their home state. So it is very complicated in the way that this is being rolled out,” she said.

Incentives not bans

State officials have favored efforts that provide incentives for people to use their SNAP benefits on healthy food options rather than a ban.

The 2025-26 state budget included $2 million for a Food Bucks program that provides those using SNAP benefits with 40 cents in bonus bucks for every dollar spent on fruits and vegetables. The Department of Agriculture posted a notice in the Pennsylvania Bulletin on Feb. 14 for prospective vendors to run the Food Bucks program. The deadline to apply to run the program is March 16.

Funds will be paid as reimbursements for activities conducted no later than June 30, 2027, according to notice in the Bulletin. No more than 15% of the grant amount awarded may be used for administrative costs.

“It’s a win-win for many Pennsylvanians,” said Rep. Eddie Pashinski, D-Luzerne, chairman of the House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, said at the time that committee approved legislation creating the Food Bucks program. “We are supporting our local farmers, our retailers. We are improving the health of our Pennsylvanians by producing and consuming healthy food, vegetables and fruits, and by reducing hunger.”

Arkoosh said that programs like Food Bucks make healthy food more accessible by reducing the price disparity between fresh fruits and vegetables and junk food.

“One of the primary reasons people with SNAP don’t buy a lot of healthy food is it’s just too expensive. They can buy a lot more calories when they’re buying chips,” Arkoosh said.

“I would encourage us, at least for now, until we have a better sense of how this is going to impact our grocers in particular, let’s double down on things like Food Bucks. Those are well-proven, well-studied programs.”

States with junk food, soft drinks SNAP bans

Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Utah and West Virginia.