Events
Working Group
SNAP Funder Working Group: Food Restriction Waivers
May 7, 2026 @ 10:00 am – 11:00 am PDT
Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Funders and Grantmakers In Health have formed a funder Working Group to coordinate a strategic response to the SNAP cuts in H.R. 1. Recognizing the far-reaching implications of SNAP for food security, health, and economic equity, this Working Group serves as an information hub and a strategic coordination space, designed to help funders act quickly, effectively, and in alignment with one another. Previous Working Group calls have highlighted advocacy, training, and technical assistance, strategic communications opportunities, and food security data collection opportunities for funders.
This Working Group Call will examine the rise of state waivers restricting the type of food that can be purchased with SNAP benefits, how retailers are navigating these changes, and what we might learn from the evaluations. To date, USDA has approved food restriction waivers in 22 states and incentivized waiver applications by tying them to increased funding for the Rural Health Transformation Program. USDA claims that these waivers are meant to “restore nutritional value in SNAP.” However, five SNAP recipients in Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, Tennessee, and West Virginia sued the department in March, challenging these restrictions as harmful, unlawful, and burdensome.
Speakers from the National Governors Association, the National Grocers Association, and the University of Illinois Chicago will discuss the state-level decision-making process to apply for a waiver, the impact of these waivers on retailer participation in SNAP, and the public and private evaluation methods being used to assess whether the restrictions have any meaningful impact on nutrition for participants. The Center for Science in the Public Interest will also share strategic thinking about how they are exploring opportunities to engage in this continuously evolving political climate.
This Working Group is open to all funders currently responding to or actively considering a response to SNAP cuts. Funders do not need to be members of SAFSF or GIH; if you are wrestling with the impact of SNAP cuts on the communities you serve, this space is for you.
Intelligence Gathering with Experts
- Joelle Johnson, MPH, Deputy Director for Healthy Food Access, Center for Science in the Public Interest
- Jess Kirchner, Senior Policy Analyst, National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, Children and Families Division
- Stephanie Johnson, RDN, Vice President, Government Relations, National Grocers Association
- Lisa M. Powell, Ph.D, Distinguished Professor, Health Policy and Administration, University of Illinois Chicago
