Nebraska is the first state to receive a federal waiver to ban the purchase of soda and energy drinks under the food benefit program for low-income Americans long known as food stamps.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins signed a waiver that the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare submitted in May to remove soda, candy and energy drinks from the list of items eligible for purchase through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, formerly known as food stamps/.

On Monday, Rollins approved Nebraska's request to exclude soda and energy drinks from eligible ... to include a ban on purchasing candy and unhealthy snacks using SNAP payments.

Nebraska, though, is the first state to receive a federal waiver that will ban recipients ... of soda and energy drinks," Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen, a Republican, said in a statement. "SNAP is ...

(The Hill) — Nebraska has received the first federal waiver to ban soda and energy drinks from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps. The move is set to take effect on Jan. 1, 2026, as a part of a broader ...