What’s the deal with Vermont’s SNAP food restrictions waiver?

You might’ve seen some headlines lately about possible bans on buying certain food with 3SquaresVT.

So, what’s the deal here?

The Scott administration has committed to adopting a SNAP Food Restrictions Waiver by the end of 2027. These waivers are being encouraged by the federal administration, and a number of states have already rolled them out. The waiver adds more restrictions on what people cannot buy with 3SquaresVT benefits, and Vermont leaders are considering “non-nutritious foods” as part of this ban.

This was part of Vermont’s application for the Rural Health Transformation Grant. The grant application provided an opportunity for a state to get a very small bonus in its application if it committed to adopting a SNAP Food Restrictions Waiver, but it was not a requirement in order to secure this funding.

Vermont was very lucky to have received almost two times what the state expected to receive from this grant, and this funding is so important. However, we were very alarmed to see that Vermont did include a commitment to adopting one of these waivers in their application.

Vermont can and should pursue opportunities to protect and strengthen the health of Vermonters—and there are ways to do so that don’t come at the expense of people’s dignity, food security, and stability. The worst health outcome is hunger. 

Additionally, if this waiver is adopted, there would be a significant cost burden placed on both the state and on Vermont’s local groceries, retailers, and farmers who accept 3SquaresVT benefits. 

At the state level, administering a restrictions waiver would require new systems, new rules, new staff and training, and complex oversight. This would cost money and time. States that have considered similar policies are finding that they are expensive and administratively difficult to operate.

More than 600 retailers in Vermont accept SNAP, which supports their bottom lines in significant ways. If the state implemented a food restrictions waiver, all of these stores would need to update their point-of-sale systems, reprogram inventory coding, and manage increased customer conflicts at checkout. This will take a tremendous amount of time and money, and retailers and rural stores cannot absorb these costs.

Here at Hunger Free Vermont, we’re focused on policies and programs that support food security, especially ones that make nourishing, healthful food more financially accessible to people—programs like Crop Cash. We urge the administration to invest in proven and cost-effective programs like these, rather than experimental demonstration projects that will only make it harder for people to shop, and impose costly changes on our state agency and our grocers.

Luckily, The Scott administration has stated that they will host a public comment period and public hearing. We do not yet know the details of these opportunities, but are grateful that they will give Vermonters an opportunity to express their views on this proposal. Visit hungerfreevt.org/news and sign up for our free newsletters to stay in the loop as we learn more about these public comment opportunities and share other essential information about 3SquaresVT.