(Cheyenne, WY) – Gov. Mark Gordon announced Monday that Wyoming has formally submitted a SNAP Food Restriction Demonstration Waiver to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, advancing an initiative outlined in “Making Wyoming Healthy Again” Executive Order 2025-07, which attempts to improve nutrition and long-term health outcomes for Wyoming residents.
The executive order directed the Wyoming Department of Family Services (DFS) to examine food items with little or no nutritional value and to pursue a federal waiver to allow the state to restrict their purchase using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
If approved by USDA, the waiver would be implemented in phases. Sweetened, carbonated beverages would be restricted in the first year, followed by candy in the second year.
“The waiver we submitted to USDA is about encouraging healthier choices, not micromanaging people’s lives,” Governor Gordon said. “My executive order targeted products with no nutritional value while preserving dignity and personal responsibility, something Wyoming citizens feel strongly about. I believe going any further and outlawing staples like flour or sugar, ingredients families use to bake bread or cook meals at home, risks undermining the very families SNAP is meant to support.”
The executive order cites public health concerns, noting that more than 30% of Wyoming adults are classified as obese and approximately 9.5% are living with diabetes. As of October 2025, SNAP provides food assistance to roughly 12,700 households and more than 26,000 individuals statewide, the majority of whom are children and elderly residents.
The Governor’s office noted Monday that DFS developed the waiver plan through a public and stakeholder engagement process that included surveys, town halls, and consultations with SNAP participants, retailers, beverage distributors, nutrition experts, and SNAP-Ed providers.
The executive order also directed DFS to consider implementation challenges, including retailer readiness, administrative costs, and the need to maintain Wyoming’s historically low SNAP error rate.
“This effort is about aligning SNAP with its core purpose, supporting health and nutrition for families who need help putting food on the table,” Director of Family Services Korin Schmidt said. “Wyoming approached this thoughtfully, deliberately, and with extensive public input. We are focused on improving outcomes, not adding bureaucracy.”
If approved, the demonstration waiver would apply statewide.