Come April 1, 2026, the candy aisle is going to look very different for Texans who use SNAP. A new statewide rule, signed off on by federal officials, will stop Lone Star card users from buying candy and most sweetened drinks with their benefits. The change tweaks which foods are eligible under SNAP and will touch roughly 3.5 million Texans who receive monthly payments, as state agencies and retailers scramble to get ready. Officials say the goal is to steer grocery carts toward healthier picks.
In a press release, the Office of the Texas Governor said the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) secured federal approval for a "healthy foods" waiver that cuts off SNAP coverage for three big categories: candy; drinks with any artificial sweetener; and nonalcoholic, water-based beverages that clock in at five grams or more of added sugar. The announcement says HHSC will work with retailers and push out guidance to recipients before the new rule kicks in.
Local outlets report the restriction will apply both in brick-and-mortar checkout lines and to online grocery orders paid with SNAP, and that shoppers can still buy the newly banned items using cash or a separate debit or credit card. Click2Houston notes HHSC is urging shoppers to watch for notices from retailers and to call 2-1-1 with questions as the April 1 start date approaches.
How the Ban Will Work at Checkout
Behind the scenes, retailers have some homework. Stores will have to tag every affected product at the UPC level so that EBT transactions for those items are automatically declined at the register. Grocers and convenience stores say that kind of reprogramming is both costly and complicated, especially for smaller operators.
Industry groups have pressed the USDA for clearer play-by-play guidance and pointed to a "two-strike" enforcement approach that could suspend a store's SNAP authorization after repeat violations. Trade associations warn that different states adopting different rules on short timelines is a recipe for confusion for both shoppers and store staff. Food Navigator USA has covered retailers' concerns along with the USDA's grace period for early adopters of similar restrictions.
Where This Fits Nationally
Texas is not acting in a vacuum. The USDA's Food and Nutrition Service has allowed several states to run demonstration waivers that restrict sugary drinks and candy, part of a broader federal push to see what happens when SNAP draws a harder line on low-nutrient items. Supporters say those experiments could show whether tighter rules on certain products move the needle on diet-related health, while critics counter that the approach risks stigmatizing SNAP users and shifting heavy administrative work onto states and retailers.
Texas is joining a staggered rollout across multiple states as the program's rules evolve at both the state and federal levels. USDA FNS laid out the early approvals and the policy rationale behind them last year.
Where to Get Help
HHSC says it will post detailed guidance for both recipients and retailers on the state's SNAP food benefits page and continues to urge people to dial 2-1-1 with specific questions about what will and will not ring up under SNAP. For official FAQs and the latest list of eligible items, visit the HHSC SNAP Food Benefits page at HHSC SNAP Food Benefits.
