In response to Alabama SB57, which was passed during the 2026 session. This legislation requires that the state request a waiver from the USDA. It is important to the people of Alabama that the USDA deny this waiver. 

As a concerned citizen, I oppose this waiver on the following grounds:

• Lack of Empirical Evidence for Health Outcomes: There is no conclusive evidence that broad categorical food restrictions within the SNAP program lead to improved long-term health outcomes or reduced obesity. Research indicates that such bans often increase food insecurity by complicating the shopping process for low-income families without addressing the underlying issues of food access and affordability.
• Violation of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA): Federal law requires that major policy changes—such as redefining "eligible food" on a state-by-state basis—undergo a formal public notice and comment period. By approving these waivers as "demonstration projects" without direct input from the affected populations in Alabama, the USDA is bypassing critical procedural safeguards.
• Exceeding Statutory Authority: The Food and Nutrition Act defines "food" broadly. We maintain that the USDA lacks the statutory authority to allow states to narrow this federal definition. This is a significant policy shift that should be debated and decided by Congress, not through administrative waivers.
  Administrative and Retailer Burden: These restrictions impose significant technical and financial burdens on Alabama retailers, particularly small businesses in rural areas, who must update complex point-of-sale systems to track thousands of individual product codes.
• Punish 
• Impact on Vulnerable Persons: The current process to receive the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is already cumbersome. SB51 creates issues that harm low-income recipients and the businesses they patronize. This legislation creates confusion as to how these benefits may be used. This confusion and the resultant issues increase the shame and discrimination against our fellow Alabamians.

We urge the USDA to prioritize nutritional education and incentivizing healthy choices rather than implementing punitive restrictions that disenfranchise Alabama’s most vulnerable residents. 

https://c.org/98gqNB78yG