Montana gets federal approval to ban soda purchases with SNAP benefits

Montana won federal approval Monday to block SNAP purchases of soda and a wider category of high-sugar foods, a policy shift that will reach grocery aisles and checkout lanes in Helena, East Helena and across Lewis and Clark County later this year.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Montana became the 23rd state to join the Trump administration’s Make America Healthy Again initiative after Gov. Greg Gianforte submitted the waiver on May 19, 2026. The state has not set an exact start date, but officials said the restriction is expected to take effect later in 2026.

Under the waiver, SNAP food benefits in Montana will no longer cover soft drinks, junk food, candy, energy drinks or sugary beverages containing more than 10 grams of sugar per eight ounces. The state said the list was drawn to give retailers a clearer line at the register, while still allowing purchases of milk, 100% fruit juice, medical electrolytes, protein bars and fresh baked goods.

Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services Director Charlie Brereton said the waiver was meant to address diet-related chronic conditions and align SNAP purchases with national dietary guidelines. The governor’s office said the goal was to steer public dollars toward healthy, nutritious foods instead of products the state associates with poor health outcomes.

The policy is being sold as a response to obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease, but it lands in a part of the food system that already runs on tight margins and thin staffing. Retailers and distributors have warned that the waiver could be costly to implement and hard to enforce, while anti-hunger organizations have argued that low-income households often depend on inexpensive, shelf-stable foods that may now be harder to buy with benefits.

That tension has been building in Helena for more than a year. Senate Bill 354, introduced Feb. 18, 2025, would have prohibited SNAP purchases of soft drinks and candy. The bill passed the Montana Senate but died in the House Standing Committee on May 23, 2025. Even after that setback, supporters continued pressing for the same restriction through the federal waiver process.

Public-health advocates and the Montana Medical Association backed the change, saying childhood obesity and diet-related disease justified it. Critics said the policy could stigmatize families who use SNAP and may not deliver the health gains the state expects. For shoppers in Lewis and Clark County, the practical test will come at the grocery counter: whether a product is allowed, whether a cashier can tell at a glance, and whether the new rules make it easier to eat well or simply harder to use benefits.