LINCOLN—In April 2025, Governor Jim Pillen signed a letter of intent seeking a waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to remove soda and energy drinks from the list of items eligible for purchase through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Shortly thereafter, Governor Pillen hosted U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins in Nebraska, where Secretary Rollins approved and signed the nation’s first waiver of its kind. Effective January 1, 2026, taxpayer dollars in Nebraska will no longer subsidize the purchase of soda or energy drinks through SNAP.
Multiple studies show that caffeine’s negative effects are amplified in children and youth, including increased stress, anxiety, agitation, sleep disturbances, and elevated blood pressure often contributing to difficulties with learning and academic performance.
