Beginning April, Texans receiving SNAP will no longer be able to purchase sweetened beverages and candy.
Senate Bill 379, one of three bills under Texas’ “Make America Healthy Again” initiative and signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott, prohibits the use of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to purchase some sugary items.
According to a news release earlier in March, Abbott said, “By implementing these changes, we encourage better nutrition and ensure this program helps families access nutritional food.”
SB 379 bans the purchase of any sweetened drinks that contain 5 grams or more of added sugar per serving or any amount of artificial sweetener, such as regular and most diet sodas or drinks made with less than 50% vegetable or fruit juice. Under the bill, candy is banned, including candy bars, gum, taffy, nuts, raisins or fruits that have been candied, crystalized, glazed or coated with chocolate, yogurt or caramel.
Texans can continue to use their SNAP benefits to purchase fruits; vegetables; garden seeds; plants that produce food; milk; milk substitutes and other dairy products; bread and cereal; meat; fish and poultry; and beverages that have more than 50% vegetable or fruit juice by volume.
Other items that Texans can’t buy with their SNAP benefits have long included tobacco, alcohol, vitamins, medicine, and other non-food items. SNAP also cannot be used to purchase certain food items, such as readymade or hot foods.
While the bill passed with bipartisan support, some Democratic lawmakers raised concerns about its long-term effects saying that there are people in urban and rural areas who don’t have access to nutritious foods and foods that are not as healthy may be the only options to fend off hunger. Some said the state should double the value of food stamps for things like fresh produce so benefits could buy more of the health products and give retailers incentive to stock more of it.
A d d i t i o n a l l y , requirements that went into effect in July 2025, include able-bodied individuals ages 18 through 65 without dependents must work or attend a work program, such as SNAP Employment and Training, for at least 80 hours per month to receive benefits.
The bill also restricts benefits to apply only to certain lawful permanent residents and U.S. citizens and eliminates eligibility for others legally present in the United States such as those who have qualified for conditional entry.
SNAP is a federal program that helps lowincome individuals or families buy food. An individual qualifies for SNAP if they make $2,152 a month or less, and a family of four qualifies if they make $4,421 a month or less. About 3.5 million Texans receive SNAP assistance every month. The recent restrictions on SNAP in Texas follows cuts the Trump administration has made to the program, including reducing funding by approximately $186 billion over 10 years, as well as implementing stricter work requirements, and new restrictions on what enrollees can purchase with benefits.