JACKSON, Wyo. — Late Friday afternoon, Gov. Mark Gordon signed a pair of executive orders targeting food access in Wyoming. The first ordered $10 million of state funds be used to bolster food pantries if federal food assistance remains paused. The second directs the state agency responsible for administering federal assistance to begin the process of restricting food purchases with “little or no nutritional value.”
Executive Order 2025-07 directs the Wyoming Department of Family Services (DFS) to conduct a review of food items with low or no nutritional value that are currently eligible for purchase with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Per a Friday statement from the governor’s office, after completing the review and determining which items should be excluded from the program, DFS will request a federal waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
“Wyoming taxpayers expect their dollars to support food assistance that helps families put healthy food on the table,” Gordon said via press release. “SNAP is intended to help feed people, and Wyoming knows how to provide nutritious food. This order will ensure taxpayer funds are used to assist those in need to provide nutritious food for themselves and their family.”
According to the USDA, there are currently 11 states with approved waivers that restrict the purchase of soda, including Colorado, Idaho and Utah. Some of those states also restrict candy, energy drinks, beverages with less than 50% natural juice and prepared desserts. These waivers are expected to be implemented in 2026.
Through the executive order, DFS is tasked with determining a phased rollout of Wyoming’s anticipated waiver to ensure accuracy and reduce the burden on retailers, especially in rural communities. The agency must also consider how this change could impact the state’s error rate, retailer participation and other associated administrative costs. Over the summer, the federal government changed the way states will share the cost of SNAP — starting in Oct. 2027, if a state’s payment error rate surpasses 6%, the state would incur a penalty of 5% of its SNAP costs.
“Our thoughtful approach to innovation and change has made Wyoming’s SNAP program one of the best nationally,” DFS Director Korin Schmidt said in the statement. “We plan to use this same roadmap as we develop the SNAP Food Restriction Waiver, aiming to encourage healthier options for our SNAP families.”
