North Dakota’s health and human services agency is preparing roughly 600 food retailers for a significant change to how SNAP benefits can be spent in the state, offering a series of webinars that will walk store operators through new restrictions set to take effect this fall.
The state received a federal waiver allowing it to bar the use of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program funds on a range of low-nutrient products. Items that will no longer be purchasable with SNAP benefits include soft drinks, energy drinks, candy, marshmallows, chocolate chips, nuts coated in chocolate or candy, sweetened cereals, and energy bars. The waiver takes effect in September, giving retailers a narrow window to overhaul their point-of-sale systems to automatically decline those purchases.
Retailers Bear Most of the Compliance Burden
Every retailer authorized to accept SNAP payments — more than 600 businesses statewide — will need to update their checkout systems before the deadline. That technical work will fall primarily on the retailers themselves, with the state covering the costs of training and outreach but not the systems upgrades. The changes affect transactions for more than 27,600 North Dakota households currently enrolled in the program.
To help retailers navigate the shift, the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services is hosting a webinar series that spans the summer and into early fall. Sessions are scheduled for June 23, July 9, July 28, August 13, August 25, September 10, September 22, October 8, and October 27, with the first session beginning at 2 p.m. this Thursday. The sessions will cover which product categories are affected, how the new rules work in practice, and what compliance looks like at the register.
Rebecca Askins, interim economic assistance director for the department, said the transition will require close coordination between state officials and retailers. “These changes will take coordinated effort from the state and retailers, and we’re grateful for the shared dedication and support that will make progress possible,” she said.
Federal Incentives and the Broader MAHA Push
North Dakota is among the states moving on SNAP dietary restrictions as the federal government offers additional Rural Health Transformation Program funding to states that enact such waivers — a financial incentive tied to the broader effort to align nutrition assistance with health outcomes.
The effort mirrors themes central to the Make America Healthy Again movement, which has pushed federal agencies to reconsider the kinds of foods that taxpayer-funded programs support. Similar questions about food quality and government-funded nutrition programs have surfaced in policy debates at the local and state level across the country, as officials weigh how public health goals intersect with consumer choice and program design.
Retailers or program participants seeking more information can reach the department by phone at 701-328-1000, Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., or by email at [email protected].