Governor Jared Polis announced on August 4 that a federal SNAP waiver was approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to remove sugary beverages from the eligible foods list. The new waiver will take effect on March 1, 2026. The waiver excludes sugary beverages that contain at least 5 grams of sweetener per 12 ounces of fluid from SNAP eligibility.
“Colorado is one of the healthiest states in the nation and has the lowest obesity rate of any state,” Governor Polis said in a statement. “Sadly, even Colorado’s lowest obesity rate of 24.9% is too high, and endangers and shortens the lives of too many Coloradans. Today’s waiver is a big step towards improving the health of Coloradans, and reducing obesity rates, diabetes, and tooth decay.”
U.S. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary held a press conference announcing the approval of waivers for six states — West Virginia, Florida, Colorado, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas. The amendments to the SNAP food program in these states vary. Some of them also remove candy from eligible SNAP items and Florida has removed prepared desserts from SNAP eligibility. Colorado’s SNAP program will still allow the purchase of candy and desserts.
“Spending $405 million a day on SNAP — about 10 percent is going to sugary drinks,” Kennedy said. “If you add candies to that, it's about 13 to 17 percent. If you want to buy a sugary soda, you ought to be able to do that, but the U.S. taxpayers should not pay for it. The U.S. taxpayers should not be paying for foods that are going to give kids diabetes. And we're doing it step by step, state by state."
In 2023, Boulder County had 18,299 SNAP clients for a total issuance of $5.2 million. Weld County had 33,676 clients for a total issuance of $9 million for the benefits year.
Governor Polis said there are two other waiver requests that are awaiting approval. These requests would allow SNAP recipients to purchase hot prepared foods from grocery stores, including rotisserie chickens. It would also “streamline the process for farmers market vendors to accept SNAP payments.”
