Recipients sue to block SNAP junk food bans in five states (March 11, 2026 )
March 11, 2026 — The National Center for Law and Economic Justice and Shinder Cantor Lerner filed suit in federal court on behalf of five SNAP recipients, seeking to invalidate USDA's food restriction waivers in Colorado, Iowa, West Virginia, Tennessee, and Nebraska. By the time of filing, the USDA had approved food restriction waivers in 22 states.
The lawsuit argues that the relevant provision of the Food and Nutrition Act authorizes only pilot projects designed to improve program efficiency or benefit delivery — not outright bans on categories of food products. The plaintiffs also contend that the USDA violated the Administrative Procedure Act by approving waivers without soliciting public comment, establishing evaluation metrics, or engaging those directly affected by the changes. The suit sought an injunction blocking enforcement of the waivers in the named states.
Retailers and industry associations had separately warned of significant compliance costs and operational complexity. The plaintiffs argued the waivers "destabilize food access" for recipients, while creating "significant burdens on retailers" — noting that for more than 60 years a simple, stable definition of "food" had allowed SNAP participants to buy groceries without confusion at checkout.
| https://nclej.org/news/trump-administration-sued-over-snap-food-restriction-waivers |