WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins signed a waiver Monday that restricts Louisiana residents with SNAP benefits from using them on certain unhealthy groceries, a policy heavily endorsed by the Trump administration.

The new SNAP waiver stops people from buying soft drinks, energy drinks and candy with their SNAP dollars. 

Louisiana joined 11 other states in implementing similar SNAP restrictions. The wave of new laws comes from a push by Rollins and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to make junk food harder to access. 

"“For years, SNAP has used taxpayer dollars to fund soda and candy—products that fuel America’s diabetes and chronic disease epidemics,” Kennedy said. 

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry celebrated the waiver and showed his support for Kennedy's "Make America Healthy Again" movement in a post on X, formerly Twitter. 

"Gone are the days of taxpayers subsidizing unhealthy lifestyles and eating habits," Landry wrote. "With today’s waiver signing, I am proud to say that Louisiana isn’t just participating in the MAHA movement, we are leading it."

Today, because of the leadership of President @realDonaldTrump, @SecRollins, and @SecKennedy, Louisiana’s SNAP program just became much stronger and healthier, benefiting children and families for generations to come.

Gone are the days of taxpayers subsidizing unhealthy… pic.twitter.com/tfeUDseis6

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— Governor Jeff Landry (@LAGovJeffLandry) August 4, 2025