The claim
“A federal judge ruled that the government cannot prohibit SNAP beneficiaries from using their benefits to purchase candy, soda, or sugary drinks.”
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia opinion
Our verdict
True
Multiple independent sources confirm that a federal judge (Amy Berman Jackson) ruled the USDA cannot prohibit SNAP beneficiaries from using benefits to buy candy, soda, or sugary drinks, finding the agency violated its own definition of 'food' and procedural requirements.
What we found
Multiple independent sources confirm that a federal judge (Amy Berman Jackson) ruled the USDA cannot prohibit SNAP beneficiaries from using benefits to buy candy, soda, or sugary drinks, finding the agency violated its own definition of 'food' and procedural requirements.
The evidence
2 sources, all background: none settles the claim either way.
- Background
Sources 2, 3, and 5 report that Judge Amy Berman Jackson granted summary judgment to SNAP recipients, blocking USDA's attempt to restrict purchases of soda and candy under the program.
nclej.org· Federal judge blocks SNAP soda/candy restrictions - Background
The judge held that USDA's waivers illegally redefined 'food' under the SNAP statute and violated the Administrative Procedure Act by not following proper notice-and-comment procedures.
nclej.org· Legal basis for the ruling
How we checked
We reviewed 2 relevant sources.
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