What New SNAP Rules Mean for Millions of Americans | U.S. News Decision Points

President Donald Trump’s second term has been a roller coaster for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which helps millions of low-income Americans purchase food.

Not only did the program become a political football in one of the longest government shutdowns in U.S. history, but it has also undergone revamped work requirements and new restrictions on what items are covered.

Here’s a rundown of some of the major changes to SNAP so far and what else is coming down the pike.

Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act included expanded work requirements for SNAP beneficiaries that kicked in this month in some places.

Under the new law, a wider group of adults must meet work criteria to keep receiving benefits beyond three months. Now people ages 55-64, caregivers of children ages 14 and younger, veterans, people experiencing homelessness and people 24 and younger transitioning out of foster care must prove they worked 80 hours per month or engaged in another approved activity in order to qualify.

Some states started implementing the requirements last year. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that the work-requirement changes from the One Big Beautiful Bill will reduce participation in SNAP by 2.4 million people in an average month over the next 10 years.

SNAP has been a strong focus of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his Make America Healthy Again movement, though the program is technically administered by the Department of Agriculture.

In a recent op-ed with Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, the agency heads detailed plans to “more than double the amount of healthy food that many retailers in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program are required to stock.”

“At long last, we are modernizing SNAP to responsibly steward taxpayer dollars, promote healthy eating and empower Americans to lead better lives,” the pair wrote.

It’s an important goal, according to Gina Plata-Nino, SNAP director at Food Research & Action Center, an advocacy group. But it’s also a requirement that could push some retailers out of the program, particularly among small retailers, who make up about 71% of SNAP-authorized stores.

“Lacking adequate flexibility and careful implementation, the proposed rule could unintentionally decrease the number of SNAP retailers, thereby restricting food access for low-income communities’ households,” Plata-Nino wrote recently.

The Trump administration has granted Texas – and more than a dozen other states – waivers to restrict what products low-income families can buy with their SNAP benefits in an effort to “put real food back at the center of the program and empower states to lead the charge in protecting public health.”

Starting Wednesday, Texas will cut sweetened beverages and candy from the list of foods eligible to buy with SNAP funds.

“Removing highly processed food from SNAP is an important step in solving America’s chronic disease crisis. Families in Texas will now have more access to affordable, real food,” HHS posted on social media.

New restrictions also start next month in Florida and West Virginia.

Experts say cutting certain items from SNAP benefits causes an array of potential problems, including increasing food insecurity and driving up administrative costs for the program.

And the food and beverage industry has raised concerns about the changes, too, saying it could lead to increased prices and empty store shelves.

“Restricting SNAP purchases or banning safe ingredients won’t make anyone healthier – they only create headlines,” the American Beverage Association said in a statement last year. “Not to mention, Secretary Kennedy continues to focus on SNAP – an issue not within his purview at the Department of Health and Human Services.”