Tennessee Governor Bill Lee this week filed a waiver with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) requesting that hot rotisserie chicken be made eligible for purchase under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Tennessee is the third state to make such a request, joining Arkansas and Colorado. Various other states have filed separate waivers with USDA to eliminate or minimize the availability of sugary drinks and snacks under the SNAP program. USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins has publicly encouraged governors to submit waivers to modify SNAP eligibility requirements to align with the Trump administration’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) initiative.
“Tennessee is leading the nation in creating innovative solutions to enhance quality of life, and I’m proud to continue our legacy of responsible fiscal stewardship while also delivering nutritious food choices for hard-working families,” Governor Lee said. “I’m grateful to the Trump Administration for its leadership to Make America Healthy Again, and thank our grocery retailers, convenience stores, food producers, and beverage manufacturers for working to ensure that healthier choices reach every community across our state.”
Specifically, Tennessee’s waiver would add “hot prepared chicken, including rotisserie and non-fried, non-breaded items like grilled chicken tenders” to the list of eligible products for purchase under SNAP. The waiver also includes requested changes to exclude from SNAP eligibility any items that list sugar, corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, or a “similar caloric alternative” as the primary ingredient as well as any beverages where carbonated water and sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, or a similar caloric alternative as the first two ingredients.
While federally funded, SNAP is administered at the state level. Current federal regulations do not allow for any hot foods, including hot rotisserie chicken, to be eligible for SNAP purchases.
USDA has not yet responded to the Tennessee waiver. Tennessee’s announcement can be found here.
