What to Know About the New Texas SNAP Restrictions

Data shows that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients are not “spending their SNAP dollars more than the average person on sugary beverages or candy,” according to Jamie Olson, vice president of policy and advocacy at Feeding Texas, “but as of last Wednesday, April 1, SNAP recipients are no longer able to use their food stamps on these items.”

The changes were born out of Senate Bill 379, which was signed into law in June 2025 by Gov. Greg Abbott. These new rules are just one part of three bills under the governor’s “Make America Healthy Again” initiative, which he signed alongside U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Texan SNAP recipients are no longer able to use their food stamps to buy candy or beverages that contain over 5 grams of sugar or any amount of artificial sweeteners, according to Texas Health and Human Services.

Individuals in Texas qualify for SNAP if they earn $2,152 or less per month, while a family of four qualifies if it earns $4,421 a month or less. About 78,899 people in Travis County received SNAP benefits in February 2026, according to Texas Health and Human Services. 

The changes prohibit customers from buying candy bars, gum, taffy, and nuts, raisins, or fruits that have been candied, crystallized, glazed, or coated with chocolate, yogurt, or caramel. Most sodas, sports drinks, and other beverages made with less than 50% vegetable or fruit juice are also banned. 

Recipients can still purchase milk and alternative milk options with added sugar, as well as beverages with natural sweeteners like monk fruit or stevia, and medical-grade electrolyte drinks used to treat dehydration. 

“Taxpayer-funded junk food turns into taxpayer-funded healthcare,” the author of SB 379, Rep. Mayes Middleton, R-Galveston, said in a press release. “This bill is not about restricting individual buying power, but rather making sure taxpayer-funded food stamps are used to buy nutritious food essential to health and well-being.”

According to Olson, SNAP recipients will not be penalized if they accidentally purchase a restricted item with their benefits because the full responsibility to label and scan items correctly “is 100% with stores.”

According to Texas Health and Human Services, the state is required to survey SNAP recipients before and after the law goes into effect to “determine if the changes are leading to healthier food choices.”

In a statement to the Chronicle, Amber O’Connor, a food policy analyst at Every Texan, wrote that the new restrictions, paired with a proposed federal rule that would increase the number of perishable staple foods SNAP retailers must stock, could burden SNAP-eligible retailers.

“We can’t afford to lose any of the SNAP retailers we currently have,” O’Connor said. “On average, there are eight stores that accept SNAP for every 1,000 recipients. At the end of the day, these changes will either cost retailers money or families access.”

State Sen. Sarah Eckhardt was one of eight senators who voted against the bill. In a statement to the Chronicle, Eckhardt wrote that the legislation was a political move rather than an effort to expand food access, adding that “it’s everyday Texans who are paying the price, again.”

“If state leaders cared about the health of Texans,” Eckhardt began, “they wouldn’t let their hard-earned money sit up in Washington accounts to be spent on other states while our families struggle to afford groceries, gas, and healthcare.”

The post What to Know About the New Texas SNAP Restrictions appeared first on The Austin Chronicle.