New Wyoming SNAP Rules 2026

Starting January 1st, 2026, Americans in five states will see restrictions on soda, candy, and other foods they can buy with SNAP benefits.

Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Utah, and West Virginia are the first of at least 18 states to enact the prohibition of what is seen as "junk food," paid for by taxpayer money.

This is part of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to urge states to strip foods regarded as unhealthy from the $100 billion federal program – long known as food stamps – that serves 42 million Americans.

“We cannot continue a system that forces taxpayers to fund programs that make people sick and then pay a second time to treat the illnesses those very programs help create,” Kennedy said in a statement in December.

In 2025, Wyoming lawmakers proposed banning "accessory foods"—including soft drinks, candy, condiments, and spices—from SNAP benefits to promote healthier,, according to reports in October 2025. While an early November 2025 shutdown delayed benefits, the proposed restrictions are part of a legislative push, with a bill considered for the February 2026 session.

In Wyoming, SNAP recipients (ages 16-59) must meet general work requirements, including registering for work, accepting suitable job offers, and not quitting a job. Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWDs), aged 18-49, must work or participate in work programs for at least 80 hours per month. As of 2024, Wyoming does not have a waiver for ABAWD work requirements.

The Joint Labor, Health, and Social Services Committee considered a bill targeting "accessory foods," which include chips, ice cream, cookies, spices, salt, and condiments.

A bill was proposed for the 2025 session, but failed to advance. It was revived in October 2025 for consideration in the February 2026 budget session, with a 12-2 vote.

The proposed restrictions would require a waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which could cost Wyoming an estimated $3.1 million in administrative, tracking, and compliance costs.

The initiative aims to limit "junk food" purchases with the $64.55 million in annual federal food benefits for approximately 14,000 Wyoming households.